AFTERNOON CHURCH

Empty – except for the tabernacle.
Empty – me feeling empty walking into the semi darkness.
Empty – seats – hundreds of them – empty but filled with a lot of past.

Sat – somewhere in the empty center of the church.
Sat – relaxed – watching the flickering candles up front – peoples' hopes and prayers reaching for God.
Sat – breathed a sigh – closed my eyes – caught myself.

Prayed – for inner peace.
Prayed – for more faith.
Prayed – for family, friends, for this whole wobbly world.

Heard – the sound a creaking bench.
Heard – an ambulance siren screaming down the street.
Heard – the prayers of a hundred plus years in this old church.

Rose – stood up after 15 minutes – better.
Rose – stood up and genuflected to my Lord and my God.
Rose – stood up and walked out – ready for more moments of life.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

EPHPHATHA

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Ephphatha”.

Scholars say it’s an Aramaic word – the language of Jesus – and it means as today’s gospel translates it, “Be opened!”

What a great message! What a great prayer! What a great blessing!

“Ephphatha!” “Be opened!”

I’m just back from a great vacation to the Baltic Sea with a group from our parish. Besides England where we got on the ship, we visited 6 other countries – and I noticed in the ship’s paper handouts, “Useful Words” for the different countries we were visiting: Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia and Norway. They gave the local language words for: “Yes”, “No”, “Good Day”, “Good-bye”, “Thank you” and “You’re Welcome”.

For example, “Kiitos” is the Finish word for “Thank-you”. “Versegod” is the Norwegian word for, “You’re welcome!”

Well today’s word is the Aramaic word, “Ephphatha” – “Be opened!”

It can be broken down into three syllables – each with three letters: Eph – pha – tha.

Could you all repeat after me, “Eph” EPH, “pha” PHA, “tha” THA.

Let’s all say, ”Ephphatha” – “EPHPHATHA”. Let’s all say, “Be opened.” BE OPENED.

Isn’t that great? We now know another word in a language different than our own.

Eph-pha-tha.

Be opened! Be open. Open up!

LAST MONDAY

There we were on a street in Oslo, Norway, last Monday, trying to find St. Olaf’s Catholic Church. We came to a spot where we could see three churches – each about a street or two away – so we asked this young lady, “Do you speak English?” She answered with a smile, “Everyone in Norway speaks English!”

“Ooops,” I said. “Do you know which of those three churches is the Catholic Church – St. Olaf’s?”

She said, pointing to the one just up the street, “I think it’s that one!”

I forgot to say in Norwegian, “Tak” – meaning, “Thanks!”

It was 5:45 P.M. The church was open. The priest was just finishing benediction – and we noticed there was a Mass in English at 6:00 P.M. We said some prayers and got moving – because we had to walk back to the ship – which had an “All aboard!” for 7:30 P.M.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s gospel from Mark is very interesting. Jesus goes north to go south. He leaves the town of Tyre by way of the lake of Galilee and moves up into the district of the Decapolis – the 10 cities. He was going into new territory.

Some think it is Mark’s way of recognizing the Christian beginnings in that area of Israel. At first they are deaf and dumb to Jesus – but slowly some of them become hearers and followers of the Word: Jesus.

And today’s first reading from Isaiah is chosen because his vision and dream, was that some day – the Lord would open all hearts, all eyes, all ears, all tongues that are mute, and people would accept salvation from our God.

And when that happens – it will be like a desert changing into a land with streams, rivers, pools and springs of life saving water.

And when that happens – as James says in today’s second reading – people will stop putting people down – and start seeing the beauty of every person around us – rich, poor, young, old, fat, skinny, those wearing Givenchy boots or K-Mart flip-flops – or what have you.

MORNING PRAYER: BE OPENED

“Ephphatha!” “Be opened!”

Jesus is saying that to us today.

Jesus is saying that to us everyday.

Be opened today.

You know how some stores have on their front door that swing sign: “Open” on one side and “Closed” on the other side.

When people see our face, the people who know us, what do they read, “Open” or “Closed”?

There’s a morning prayer here for all of us.

Each morning, take a moment. Pause. Put your fingers into your ears or cup your ears like this and pray: “Lord, today, help me to listen to you. Lord, today help me to listen to those I meet. Lord, today, help to hear what those around me are saying.”

Each morning, take a moment. Pause. Touch your tongue and say, “Lord, today, help me to say kind and helpful things to those I meet with this tongue. Lord, today, give me wisdom of words. Lord, today, remind me to use this tongue to compliment those around me.”

We can do the same with our eyes.

“Ephphatha!” “Be opened.”

TWO EARS – ONE MOUTH

We’ve all heard the ancient question: “Why did God give us two ears and one mouth?”

Answer: “To listen – twice as much as we speak.”

I was watching the news the other night and a commentator was mentioning Ted Kennedy’s memoirs that are coming out – and in them he wrote that a former president never listened – and didn’t seem to be able to listen.

I found myself pausing and saying to myself, “Uh oh? I better work on being a better listener.”

I better work on hearing what others are saying and not saying.

We who live with other people – ought to ask that question: “How good am I in listening to those I live and work with?”

“Ephphatha!” “Be opened!”

Besides our ears, besides working at listening, how good are we at communicating our voice – our vision?

We also have a voice.

A few years back I heard someone talking about someone else – and the person observed, “It took this person quite a while, but she finally found her voice.”

I thought about that. I had never really heard the obviousness of it before. Each person has a voice – a vote – comments – ideas about life.

Have you found your voice yet?

Standing up here week after week preaching, I have to shut up and ask myself, “What am I talking about? What am I preaching? Is it my voice? Is it my voice only? Is it Gospel? Is it Good News?

I wonder at times, “Have I shot my wad?”

When we live with others long enough, we get to know all their stories. We know what the other person is off on. And we sort of stop listening to each other. We’ve heard this story too many times! I’ve heard married couples joke about this often. We forget the old adage, “A gentleman never heard the story before.” And we who keep repeating ourselves, unless it’s dementia – maybe we better work on being better listeners to each other’s stories.

I’ve been here at Annapolis going on 7 years now. At some point I’m sure some of you say, “Heard that. Next? Enough of that.”

Yet, I have only used an old sermon once. I had to cover for someone quickly – but I’m sure you’ve figured what the priests here at St. Mary’s are off on by now.

I remember reading the saying, “There are only a few basic concepts, but think of the metaphors.”

I remember reading in Time magazine 40 or some years ago something Eric Heiden, the Olympic Ice skating speed racer, said. He was around 20 years old at the time and someone asked him an opinion about something and he said, “Hey, I’m only 20 years old. What do I know? I haven’t figured out much about anything yet.”

At what point in life do we figure things out?

At what point in life do we find our voice?

At what point in life do we have wisdom?

I don’t like suffering, but I like the wisdom of the saying, “Suffering enters into the human heart to create there places that never existed before.” What have been our hurts and heartaches – deaths and losses – divorces and disasters – and what have we learned from them?

I am not married and don’t have children, so I wonder what would I have learned in the greatest classroom and educational possibility there is: being married and raising children. Those of you who have been married and have had children, what have you learned?

Wisdom comes from opening up our minds and hearts. Wisdom comes from listening – opening up our ears. Wisdom comes from asking questions – using our mouth to ask – to inquire. Wisdom comes from being able to take suggestions. Wisdom comes from good moves and especially from mistakes – if we learn from them.

Open up a blank note book or a blank word document on your computer and write down, “What have been my ten top life learnings.”

I love a message I heard once, “The Talmud says, ‘Teach thy tongue to say, “I do not know.”’”

That taught me that I can say, “I do not know!” And the older I get, the more I’m saying that.

I remember in the late 60’s being at a power breakfast in New York City for rabbis, ministers, priests, teachers, and public officials. It was on Drugs and Youth. Nelson Rockefeller, then Governor of New York was doing a Q and A, a Question and Answer session. Someone asked him a question and he answered bluntly, “Are you crazy? I am not going to answer that question. Next!”

From that moment and that experience, I learned I can calmly say, “I rather not answer that. Next!”

I read once that the secret of life is the ability to say three words: “Yes”, “No” and “Wow!”

At what point in life can we say to ourselves and others, “No!” or “Yes” or “Wow!”? Some people – not just kids – don’t seem to be able to say, “No!”

Some people can’t say, “Yes!”

Some people seem to have forgotten how to say, “Wow!”

It’s very freeing to be able to say to kids or to anyone, “No!” or “Wow!” or “Yes!”

The title of my homily is, “Ephphatha”. Be Opened.

I remember reading in the 1960’s a book by Louis Evely entitled, “That Man Is You.” It was based on the story in the Bible when Nathan told a parable to David and David hearing the parable, the story, gets mad at what the guy in the story had done and says to Nathan, “Who is the man who did that horrible thing?” And David, who had stolen another man’s wife, hears Nathan say, “That man is you!” And David is open to seeing the horrible thing he had done!

I learned from that book: every story in the Bible is told for me to see myself in that story. “That person is I.”

CONCLUSION

Today’s gospel story is that I’m the deaf and dumb person and Jesus can come into my territory and heal me – putting his fingers into my ears, putting his spit on my tongue – putting his forgiveness into my mind and heart saying, “Ephphatha!” “Be opened.”

And the Great Good News is that our parents gave us not only the ticket to life here on earth – but the possibility of eternal life - after this life. I look forward to each new day of life – but I also look forward to eternal life when the Risen Christ says over the dead, “Ephphatha” and the Gates to Eternal Life open for us – and we will meet all those who have gone before us – Norwegians, Danish, Russians, Australians, Africans, Americans, and we’ll all be speaking the same language – the language of love and forgiveness, understanding and joy, laughter and light, memory and eternal hope.

IT’S AN INSIDE JOB

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 22 Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, is, “It’s An Inside Job.”

RELIGION

Religion is an inside job.

Religion, if it’s not deep in the heart of me, then it’s not good religion. If it's not in me, it’s externalism. It’s show. It’s staged. It’s spin. It’s façade. It's an attempt to hide stuff behind the façade that we don’t want others to see.

Religion is an inside job.

The look, the scent, the outside sounds are not the inner me, the inner soul. The skin, the clothes, the titles, are not the person.

Everyone married more than six months knows this more or less. Everyone working close to others knows this in at least a year – more or less.

Marriage and relationships, like religion, are inside jobs.

Religion is a relationship: with God and each other. We can’t hide from the other. We can’t hide from ourselves. We can’t hide from God.

Of course we try – and that’s what today’s readings and message challenge. They want us to go inside – to be honest – to get to the heart of the matter – to say “Hello” to God in our inner room.

True religion is the inner stuff – that leads to great outside random and unrandom acts of kindness – or as James puts it in today’s second reading: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

Religion – is an inside job – that flows into wonderful outside showings of caring and daring, grace and gratitude, love and life.

MOTIVE

Motive.

Jesus challenged folks to look at our motives.

Motive is tough detective work.

Religion – true religion – gets us to look at motives and then to move it. Quick! Do something for someone quickly. Make each other’s day.

Unfortunately, we often waste all kinds of energy that could be used for service - on worrying about our past - the what if's - the dumb moves - the hurts - the scenarios that we imagined - but never happened.

Maybe people don't like to enter their inner room - because the whining and the resentments in there are too, too loud. Inner "Unfair!" cries - regrets, resentments, reign.

We need to say, "Enough already!" Stick a fork in them. They’re finished. We blew it back then – but today we can start laughing, loving, pinching ourselves. We’re alive. We’ve made it to this day. So let’s start enjoying our gifts, with the ones we’re with – and the ones who need our love.

GOSPEL

Today’s gospel picks on Pharisaism – Gospel Pharisees and today’s Pharisees – the type of Pharisaism that is hypocritical – the type of Pharisaism that is legalistic – the type of Pharisaism that is loaded with externalism – show.

In today’s gospel the Pharisees go against Jesus because his disciples are not following the so called “Big Tradition” of ritual washings. Jesus goes after them and says, “Nothing that enters one from the outside can defile a person. It’s what comes out from within that defiles a person.”

Jesus is not against washing before meals – cleaning pots and pans – kettles and beds. But he is against rituals that miss the purpose behind them – or rituals that are only done to make oneself look better or feel better than the other person. The spiritual competition game.

Jesus quotes Isaiah in today’s gospel, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Lip service is out. Prayers and service from the heart are in.

Jesus is for heart washing – heart cleansing – heart felt changes in the center of the person – that lead to love and kindness and caring.

Religion is an inside job.

Jesus continues in today’s gospel with a scathing list of sins of the heart: “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness [lacking legal or moral restraints], envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Woooo! Tough stuff today.

Tough message today.

The Word for today should humble us. It should challenge us. It should get us to say, “Wait a minute! Is there a message for me here today?”

And James in today’s second reading says, “Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.”

So we start with humility. We start with prayer, saying deep within our heart, “Lord, I can’t do this. It’s too deep and too difficult. Help!”

James then states how the inside job has to flow into the outside world we live in. He says, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding ourselves.” As the song goes, “Don’t talk about love. Show me!”

Religion is sheer simplicity – inside conversion – leading to outside love.

That I think is the message from today’s readings. It’s simple. It’s basic. Religion is an inside job – that flows into outside love.

CONCLUSION: A STORY - TETSUGEN

At this point in preparing this homily, I realized I needed a concrete example to help bring this message to heart. After a little research, I think I found a good example in a book by Anthony de Mello, Taking Flight – A Book of Story Meditations. So let me close with that story. It’s from another tradition, but I found out: sometimes something from out there brought in here – will help us in here to get it right out there.

Once upon a time there was a student of Zen Buddhism named Tetsugen. He lived in Japan and realized the sacred writings, the sutras that were in Chinese, were not available in Japanese. The writing was the same – but the languages were different. So he had a dream – a dream to have 7,000 copies of the sutras printed in Japanese.

He traveled the length and breath of Japan collecting funds for the project. Some wealthy people offered him as much as a hundred pieces of gold, but mostly he received small coins from peasants. Tetsugen expressed gratitude to each donor, regardless of the sum of money given.

After ten long years of travel, he finally had collected enough money for the printing. Just then the river Uji overflowed and thousands were left without food and shelter. Tetsugen spent all the money he had collected for his cherished project on these poor people.

Then he began the work of raising funds again. Again it was several years before he got the money he needed.

Then an epidemic spread all over the country, so Tetsugen gave away all he had collected to help the suffering.

Once again he set out on his travels and, twenty years later, his dream of having the scriptures in the Japanese language finally came true.

Today, the printing block that produced this first edition of the sutras is on display at the Obaku Monastery in Kyoto, Japan.

Now comes the moral of the story: The Japanese tell their children that Tetsugen got out three editions of the sutras in all: and the first two are invisible and far superior to the third.

Religion is invisible. It’s an inside job – that hopefully is on display all around the world.

HOW’S YOUR
SECOND ACT?

INTRODUCTION


The title of my homily for this 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, is, “How Is Your Second Act?”

“How Is Your Second Act?”

PRODUCER ARTHUR HOPKINS

When I read today’s gospel I thought of an example that I had read and jotted down somewhere along the line.

Years ago – 1931 to be exact – the theatrical producer Arthur Hopkins [1878-1950] wrote a book entitled, “How’s Your Second Act?” I never read the book, but I love the title. He used to receive dozens of manuscripts for plays. Before he would read any script, he would always ask, "How is your second act?" Playwrights would have a wonderful first act. The question was: does your drama begin to fade and fall apart as the play moves on. You might have a great beginning, but how’s your second act?

He also held that “the final test for producers was the amount of new talent they brought into the theater.”

How’s your second act? Are you bringing new life into our world?

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel has this group of people finally getting a glimpse of whom Jesus is and what he is about.

And they are beginning to realize that Jesus is more than just giving free bread. He’s is much more. He is the Bread of Life - and so much more.

And they respond by saying, “You’re feeding us tough stuff. These are hard sayings.”

And they leave.

And Jesus asks Peter and the other disciples, “Are you going to leave as well?”

And Peter responds, “No. To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Now of course, this is early church stuff. The new Christians are over their initial enthusiasm of baptism and conversion. They are now entering the second act. And the first act is a tough act to follow.

HARD SAYINGS IN THE GOSPEL

There are lots of hard sayings in the gospels:

Go the extra mile.
Turn the other cheek.
Take up your cross and follow me.
The grain of wheat must die, otherwise it remains just a grain of wheat, but if it dies, it brings forth abundant life.
This is my body.
This is my blood.

SECOND HALF, FIFTH INNING, ETC.

How’s your second act?

The honeymoon ends. Marriage enters its second year. The football team gets off to a great start, but there is the second quarter and there is the rest of the game. There are the adjustments the other team makes at half time. People get injured. How good is the bench? How good has the conditioning program been? Who will be tired when the going gets tough?

In baseball, the pitcher has to face the same hitters a second time. Can he adjust? How good is his second act? How good is his second time around the league? And there is also the next game and the game after that and the game after that. The baseball season has 160 games plus.

Life has its second acts, its third acts, and its fourth and fifth acts. How’s your second act?

Bernard Basset had an excellent book entitled, “The Noonday Devil.” Each day is like a lifetime. We might get off to a great start, but how do we deal with The Noonday Devil?

JURY ROOM EXAMPLE

I don’t remember where I read the following story – so I don’t know who gets the credit – but it’s a good story. Once upon a time there were twelve men sitting behind closed doors as a jury after a trial. Eleven of the men were working farmers. The twelfth was a retired farmer. The eleven working farmers pushed for a guilty verdict. The retired farmer wanted a “not guilty” verdict.

Problem: the verdict had to be unanimous.

The eleven jurors did everything they could to convince the “Not Guilty” farmer to switch to a guilty verdict. A rain storm was predicted for later on in the day, so they wanted to get in their hay. The retired juror just sat there looking out of the window as dark rain clouds slowly approached. Time ticked on. The eleven Guilty verdict farmers kept looking at their watches and the clouds. There was a loud clap of thunder. The eleven panicked and all eleven changed their votes to not guilty – and after the trial the retired farmer walked down the courthouse steps with a big smile on his face – as he looked at the dark clouds getting closer and closer.

How good are we when it comes to sticking to our convictions?

TODAY’S FIRST READING

In today’s first reading, Joshua calls together the 12 tribes and says that it’s test time. Then he says, “As for me and my house, we are going to follow the Lord.

TODAY’S SECOND READING

Today’s second reading is about marriage. The words about a wife being subordinate to her husband often rankles some people.

I like the wisdom in the saying, “A text out of context is a pretext!”

We have to remember that Paul is writing this letter in the first century. And in the first century, in the Mediterranean Basin, males were the bosses. It was a patriarchic society. Marriages were arranged between families. Individualism was not in. Family was in. Romance was not a priority. Women and men might not have feelings for each other or become friends their whole marriage, but that wasn’t the main aim. It was to continue the family. A husband's place was outside the home; the wife’s place was inside the house. She cooked, made babies, and continued the family. Her friends would be the other women in the village or town or her sisters down the street or on the other side of the village. She would be very close to her children. However, sons came into the father’s ambiance when they came of age. And sons were more important than daughters.

Sound familiar? Some of these ideas are still around – and not just in other parts of the world.

In that context, today’s reading from Ephesians [5:21-32] has some challenging comments for the people of his time. Paul is telling couples to love one another and for the man to cherish his wife. Too often people just look at the “subordination” of wife to husband words. Formerly, the word used was “submission”. Notice in the missalette these “buzz” words can be left out. However, the words are still there in Paul and he is calling for radical thinking both in the family and in the structure of the church.

To do all this in a marriage, as well as in the church, especially in the second act, and in the third act, that’s the tough stuff. These are hard sayings.

To make life work, we must die to ourselves. The ego must go. Eeeee goooooooooo!

CONCLUSIO AND SUMMARY

The title of my homily is, “How Is Your Second Act?”

Where are we in the game of life? Where are we in our marriage?

As the old saying goes, “What’s so remarkable about love at first sight. Love is when people have been looking at each other for years and still love each other.”

Where are we in the trial? Do we have staying power – even when dark clouds are moving in and there is thunder in the distance?

What inning, what quarter, what stage, of life are we in?

How good are we in the long run? How good is our staying power? How good is our growing power? How good is our renewal power?

The first day or week on the job might be great, but how are we in two years, ten, twenty years?

The priest might be great in his first three years, but how is he in thirty-three – forty three – fifty three years?

Today we come to the end of the sixth chapter of John for our Sunday Gospel. We have been listening to this chapter for 5 straight Sundays.

We notice that many of the crowd that started the 6th chapter have dropped out – in the second act – or the 4th inning – or when Jesus’ words became tough – when they heard that the bread of life is not just our daily bread – but is Jesus himself - and we need to eat him - for everyday and for eternal life.

John writes, “As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, ‘Do you also want to leave?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.’”

So here we are – because we have come to believe and are convinced that Jesus is the Holy One of God – and we walk the walk each day with Jesus as our staying power. Amen.

STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time is, “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.”

How many times in our lives have we said to ourselves in the privacy of our brain, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”?

Or a variation might be, “Dumb! Dumb! Dumb!” or “Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!” or “Uuuuuh! Uuuuuh! Uuuuh!”


Or if we are déjà vu dumb – that is, we keep repeating the same mistake over and over again, we might use the Jim Carey movie title, “Dumb and Dumber” and we might even add the superlative, “Dumbest!”


A lady after the 8:30 Mass this morning said to me, “Stupidity is doing the same stupid thing over and over again, expecting a different result each time.”


How many times have we said to ourselves, “That was the dumbest thing I ever did.”?

Now that would be a good dinner conversation.

We talk to ourselves. In fact, we talk to ourselves more than any other person on the planet. In fact, I’m wondering if people are being stupid or dumb – by spending too much time talking on cell phones or texting each other – time they could be talking to themselves – another word for thinking. Thinking is good. Healthy thinking and praying is good. Stinking thinking or stupid thinking is bad.

This weekend is the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock – and there are all kinds of articles and commentaries on radio, TV and newspaper about that weekend. The one that intrigued me the most was that people were standing on lines that were a mile long to get to the few pay phones in the area. It was before everyone had cell phones. It was raining. Small stores ran out of food. There were long potty lines. The New York Thruway was totally stopped so people decided to sleep in their cars – right on the New York Thruway. I’m sure a lot of people were saying, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” Looking back, many seem to be saying now, “Smart! Smart! Smart!” “I was there! I was there. I was there!” and I can brag about it.

BANGING OUR HEAD

It’s interesting: when we say, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” we often hit our head. That’s where our brain, our mind, our thinking skills are kept.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from The Book of Proverbs triggered for me the theme for this homily on stupidity. It begins, “Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven columns; she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine, yes, she has spread her table.”There are a whole series of books in the Bible called the “Wisdom Books”. They contrast wisdom with stupidity – smart with dumb – right with wrong – clever with foolishness.

In our growth process – in our spiritual development - it is wise to stop from time to time to reflect upon what’s inside our brain - our attitudes - our "speeches" - our "buttons" - what we're off on. Are we being wise with our use of time and energy? Are we smart or foolish? Are we being healthy or unhealthy with our bodies and our earth?

This is why religions have religious schools – and catechisms – and Bible readings and homilies.

To return to the opening words of today’s first reading, “Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven columns; she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine, yes, she has spread her table.”

What’s on your table? What’s in your house?

Close your eyes and take a tour of the house called you. What does it look like? People walk around the neighborhoods of Annapolis and see red brick and porches, old houses and new ones, steps and gardens. People walk around Annapolis and sometimes go into other people’s homes. Some are tours. Some are parties or what have you. Annapolis has a lot of different neighborhoods and areas. And when we’re inside a home for the first time, the owners say, “Let me show you the house?” We see the different rooms. We spot the pictures on bookshelves and refrigerator doors. We see what’s on tables. We take it all in.

Interesting.

I only have one room and I have a saying, “Show me your room and I’ll tell you who you are.” I’m a slob, so I keep my door closed.

We could say the same of a house, “Show me your house and I’ll tell you who you are?”

Then when we sit down to dinner – at another’s table – we see even more about another person or family.

Next time you’re at someone’s dinner table, listen to what others are talking about. Listen to what people are worried about – what people laugh about – what people eat – and we’re finding out who they are.

INNER ROOM

Jesus visited a lot of people. Jesus invited himself into different homes and into the lives of various people.

Jesus talked about each of us having an inner room.

We’ve all heard the Capital One Ad, “What’s in your wallet?”

Robert Fulghum once asked a group of men to put their wallets on a table and have everyone show what’s in their wallet.

Interesting.

Show me your wallet and I’ll tell you who you are?

Jesus would say, “Invite me into your inner room and I’ll tell you who you are.”Our inner room is in here – inside our skull – the skull we hit when we say, “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.”

Our inner room is in here – inside our skull – the place where a thousand conversations and judgments take place each day.

WISDOM & STUPIDITY

Wisdom! Wisdom! Wisdom!

Wisdom is the opposite of stupidity, foolishness, dumb, dumb, dumb.At different points in our lives – like each Sunday when we come to church for Sabbath Rest – like vacation – like walks – like being alone in car rides – it’s good to check out what we are talking to ourselves about – what’s in our house? – what’s in our inner room?

Listen to yourself and you’ll find out a lot about yourself.

Jesus is a carpenter. His first question would be: Is your house built on rock or sand? Does it have strong columns or is your life shaky?

Nobody has a monopoly on stupidity or sin? Popes, presidents, priests and parents, coaches, cab drivers, and computer folks, the big guys and gals and the little guys and gals, all do stupid things.

How about you?

What did Forest Gump mean when he said, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Was he saying, “Nobody is stupid, but we do stupid things.”

Commentators on the movie like to say that was a very wise line because it’s tricky. It might get folks thinking – “Who’s stupid? Who’s really stupid and who’s really wise?” Surprise! It might be the person with the I.Q. of 75.

LEARNING FROM OUR STUPID MISTAKES

We become wise when we learn from our mistakes – especially from our really dumb moves.

I was the youngest of four kids – and one night my mom and dad were out – and my brother or one of my two sisters sent me to the living room to turn out the lamp. We had the two bedrooms in the back of the house. The lamp in the front of the house didn’t have an on and off beaded pull chain. It had broken off. You had to turn the bulb off by hand. It was hot and I pulled my fingers away from the hot bulb immediately and put my fingers in my mouth.

What to do?

I took off my t-shirt and put it over the lamp to cover the light and make my brother or sisters in the back of the house think I had turned it off. Luckily they smelled the smoke and quickly ran out to the living room, pulled the smoking and almost burning t-shirt off the lamp and then proceeded to beat me up.

I never did that again. But I was being logical. I learned from that mistake the first and only time I made it.

When playing Monopoly it took me about 5 times to learn, “If you own Park Place – never trade it to the person who has Boardwalk. Monopoly can be a very long game and the person with hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place has the best chance of winning.

How many times do we have to commit the same sin before we learn? How many next mornings, DUI’s, screaming children, car dents, headaches, vomiting, loss of jobs, does it take for an addict on drugs or booze to hit bottom and get their house in order.

We make mistakes.

That's why we say, "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid."

That's why pencils have erasers and churches have confessionals.

So the key thing is to see what we're doing is stupid and then not to be déjà vu dumb.

CONCLUSION

These 5 Sunday’s, besides readings from Ephesians and other books in the Bible, we have been listening to the 6th Chapter of John – and the central message is that a key table to sit down to every Sunday is this meal with Jesus – who feeds us with himself – and his wisdom – and gives us the ability to live forever.

Smart. Smart. Smart.

THE PERIOD
AND
THE QUESTION MARK

Once upon a time a Period and a Question Mark found themselves almost right next to each other. This is rare, but sometimes it happens. They are serving different life sentences.

And sometimes when they meet each other – the result is stress. Sometimes it’s an argument. Sometimes the communication process gets confused or mixed up.

The Period says, “It’s the Question Mark's fault for these mix-ups. Period. That’s it. Question Marks are too open ended – too vague – too unsure of themselves – too liberal. They have to learn how to make decisions – to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Period.”

The Question Mark replies, “Why? Why are you saying that? Why don’t you talk to me and find out why I tend to ask questions?”

The Period answered, “It’s because you don't like the answers. That’s why you keep asking questions. Questions. Questions. Questions. You have to take a stand – be more definitive, more sure of yourself - like me.”

“Well,” says the Question mark, “can’t you see that I’m being true to myself? Can’t you see I’m built like a hook for a reason?”

“Look,” says the Period, “you’re handicapped – going through life with that funny looking hook. Don’t you wish you were nice, basic, simple and clear like me?”

“Wow, Period, you just asked a question. Wow, you can do it. And surprise, I just used 2 periods. And there's a 3rd one. Isn’t it nice when people change and try to understand each other?”

“You're strange," said the Period. “I just don’t understand you. Good bye.”

"Come back? Why are you walking away?" asked the Question Mark. "Are you scared to be with me?"

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

THE ABILITY TO SIT STILL

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “The Ability to Sit Still.”

Some folks don’t have any trouble sitting still. In fact, some people know some people who are sitting still too much and they want them to get off their butt and put the garbage out or help with the dishes or get a broom and sweep the kitchen or the garage floor.

Should marriage instructions have a sign: CPNNA?

“Couch Potatoes Need Not Apply.”

This homily is for those who need to slow down - to sit still - to take long looks at life.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

The theme of sitting still hit me when I read the first sentence in today’s first reading. “Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it.”

I was trying to find out information about broom trees – and why they are called that. I discovered that the desert broom tree is really a short shrub – yet some of its branches can be 12 feet high. The dictionary indicates it, but I couldn’t find out for sure if they make brooms or just broom handles from these trees.

In the desert any tree – any place to hide – would be very welcome.

Elijah is on the run – and he sees a broom tree and heads for it – and begins begging God to take his life – because he’s fed up with life and running and running – because King Ahab and his wife Jezebel are after him for challenging them.

Running…. Running…. Running …. Ever feel that way?

And he falls asleep and an angel touches him and orders him to get up, eat and drink. And he spots a bread cake and a jug of water. He eats and then falls asleep again and once more the angel touches him and tells him to get up and eat and drink because he has a long journey ahead of him. The reading tell us, “He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.” [1 Kings 19:8]

The message of the story is obvious: we need food and drink for the journey.

The purpose of the text is obvious: to connect it with the Gospel readings we have been hearing these 4 weeks – from Chapter 6 of John – how we need the bread of life, Jesus, to eat and be nourished by on the journey of life.

The message of the story is obvious: sometimes we want to end it all because everything is catching up on us.

Run…. Run…. Run….

BROOM TREE RETREAT HOUSES

I’ve never been to a retreat center with the name, “Broom Tree Retreat House,” but I know they have them around our world – for pastors and for those who need a good rest. They get their name and hope from today's story about Elijah on the run.

I did spend 22 years of my life in Retreat Houses: San Alfonso Retreat House West End, N.J; St. Alphonsus Retreat House Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, and Mount St. Alphonsus Retreat House, Esopus, New York. They were all named after the Redemptorist Founder, St. Alphonsus, whose statue is up here at St. Mary’s.

In those 3 places I saw thousands of people come for a break - for rest, for an escape.

I saw lots of people calming down – and just sitting looking out at the ocean, looking at trees, looking at a river or the hills in the distance.

People need trees to sit under.

People need good chairs to relax in.

People need places to escape to.

THREE QUOTES

I’m sure you’ve all heard the words of Pascal in reference to sitting. It’s in his book, Pensees, or Thoughts, “I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, our inability to sit still in a room.”

Is that true? Think about it: "... all human evil coming from our inability to sit still in a room?"

Lewis Thomas wrote, “We are, perhaps, uniquely among earth’s creatures, the worrying animal. We worry away our lives, fearing the future, discontent with the present, unable to take in the idea of dying, unable to sit still.”

T.S. Eliot in his poem, Ash Wednesday, prays, “Teach us to sit still.”

I’m sure all of us here have a rosary and a Bible. Millions of people around the world every day sit still with worry beads or holy words – and just be – sitting still in prayer with God.

Many people know the words of Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”

ANNAPOLIS' HOLY PLACES

Here at St. Mary’s and now at St. John Neumann there is a garden where you can come and sit still and find peace.

Here at St. Mary’s and also St. John Neumann one can come and sit in church – on wooden benches – and just be – just be still.

Hundreds sit in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel down below – sitting still in the presence of Jesus, the Bread of Life – food for the journey – one of the great stresses of St. Alphonsus.

Where are your broom trees? Where are you resting places? Where are your hiding places?

There are 3 or 4 benches at Quiet Waters Park overlooking the South River. I know that because I remember blessing one of those benches - in memory of a husband who was killed by a machine in a factory accident.

With all the water around Annapolis – folks love to just sit on porches – overlooking water – or on rocks or on benches – or on green grass – or what have you – just relaxing – just being who I am.

Where are your broom trees? Where are you places to sit and become quiet?

STETHOSCOPE OR LISTENING DEVICE

We all know what a stereoscope or a listening device is.

If you put a microphone over Elijah’s heart you would have heard the pounding and the panic in him. He was scared for his life.

If we put a microphone over our own heart, what would we hear?

Today’s second reading from Ephesians has a great opening line, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit….” Then we are challenged to decide which sounds to dump and which sounds to keep.

Is this why people might be scared to sit still? They might not like the sounds within them. They might become too loud to listen to.

Ephesians says, “All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice.”

I once lived next door to a priest who had a drinking problem. It wasn’t here. It was in one of those retreat houses where I was stationed. And the walls between our rooms were not thick enough. Outside his room – in public – he was always such a gentleman – the priest with a great smile – but I could sometimes hear the sounds from his heart – anger, griping, complaining, whining, heavy duty, “How comes?” – coming through the walls. I tried to get him help. We tried to get him help. He never accepted help. “Ugh!” "Oooh!" Those are two of my inner sounds, "Ugh!" and "Oooh!"

And then Ephesians says the sounds and attitudes one should hear from within one’s walls: kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.”

The title of my homily is “The Ability to Sit Still.”

This week take time at least once and get ye to a broom tree. Sit down under it – at the Mall, on a porch, in a quiet back room, in a garden – and listen to your inner sounds - the state of your soul. Listen to your heart. What's going on in there? What are your sounds?

CONCLUSION

Ooops. Why do we come to Sunday Mass – if not to sit still? Okay it’s tough for kids. Okay, these benches are not that comfortable, but we come here to be, to be restored, to be fed with the bread of life, and then to leave here to get going again and again and again.

Life for most is longer than 40 days and 40 nights - till we get to the mountain of God.