CI  INDEX: 

COMPARISONS  AND  IMITATION

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for the 13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C,  is, “CI Index: Comparisons and Imitation.”

Comparisons and Imitations: two major issues in life.

Comparing ourselves to others …. Imitating others ….

I’m willing to bet - by mentioning - that we all have a CI Index, someone would say, “I heard of that. What’s that all about again - one’s CI Index?”

And I would say, “I just made that up. As far as I know there is no such thing as one’s CI  Index.”

In coming up with sermons,  I read the readings and see where they take me in exploring areas and avenues for spiritual growth. Today’s readings triggered for me the issues of comparisons and imitation - C I.

CI  INDEX

So there is something called one’s C I Index - because I’m making one up now for this homily.

It goes like this.

Write down 5 people you have compared yourself to?  And write down the names of 5 people you have imitated.

That’s it. Index them. List them. Name them.

Then looking at those 10 names - what does each person tell you about yourself.  There can be duplicates - the same name on both lists - and if there are - then those duplicate names get more weight - and hopefully more consideration - what they are telling you about yourself.

In doing this, I would also hope,  one  begins to think about people we don’t want to be like - people we don’t want to imitate. That information, that realization, would also help us to understand ourselves and our life and our interaction with each other better.

TODAY’S READINGS

So the idea for this homily comes from today’s readings.

At least that’s how I’m justifying it - in case this sermon is a bomb.

In the first reading Elisha the prophet follows Elijah the prophet. [1 Kings 19: 16b, 19-21]

Reading the Books of Kings we’ll find out how Elisha imitates Elijah and we also find out how both differ from the false prophets of Baal and other religions.

So there they are:  comparisons and imitations.

In the second reading - [Galatians 5:1, 13-18] - we have stuff from Paul the apostle - who became who he became - first by being an imitator of the Pharisees and religious fanatics - and righteous religious folks. That was his first life - when he was Saul.

Then that didn’t work - because he was killing and persecuting others -Christians - as well as his own spirit in the process.

In doing that, he fell on his face.

In time, he realizes he was blind. He hears a voice from  Christ who says, “You’re killing me - by killing my disciples.”

Then this Christ says to Paul that he can raise this Paul from his chaos - and his deadly way of doing life.

Then when Paul started to become a Christian,  he realized by comparisons that he differed from other Christians.

He realized that he differed from Peter - and then challenged Peter.  

Paul changed - but in our conversions and changes - we bring our baggage and our brains with us.

Eureka - this is how life works.

We compare ourselves to our brothers and sisters - to other kids in the classroom and on the playground. We imitate the other folks. That’s how we learn to speak and to eat.  I saw this loud and clear last week at the Vacation Bible. Moms or grandparents would come in around 10 to 12 to pick up their kids - but a show would be going on - kids singing and dancing - and their little brothers and sisters would be watching and some would start imitating what they were seeing.

Comparisons and imitation…. Watch little kids come up the line with their parents for communion. Little two year olders reach out for communion or say, “I want some!”

If we want to make our life work - and become better and better - we need to check out our baggage and our brains, our patterns and our ways to doing things. Whom are we imitating?  We learn from comparisons - and we learn from those whom we interact with - bump into  - do life with. Life contains a lot of déjà vu.

THIS HOMILY - SO FAR VAGUE - BUT TRYING TO BECOME SPECIFIC

I’ve heard mothers say, “When I started to have kids, I realized I didn’t know how to be a mother.”

“Sorry, I guess I wasn’t watching my mother when she was mothering.”

I didn’t get that at first, but I heard it enough to start thinking about it.

Then a mom would say to me, “I watched my sister-in-law - how she was as a mother and I realized some tricks of the trade. I tried imitating what I liked she was doing and some of the tricks worked.

Others said they saw some moms and by comparison - they said to themselves, “I know I don’t want to be like that.”

Then some said, “Kids are different! You gotta know that and try different tricks of the trade.”

To be honest I didn’t hear this enough from dads - on questions of how to be a dad.

Then I realized I was doing the same as priest. I watched how some priests preached and how some dealt with people. I watched how some priests and other people treated parishioners or waiters and waitresses at restaurants and I saw what I liked and what I didn’t like.

Surprise! I was learning by comparison and Imitation or non-Imitation on how to be a Christian and a good human being  and how to avoid the opposite.

My second rector was a Father Joseph McManus - buried in our back yard at St. Mary’s on Duke of Gloucester Street. I like to go to his grave from time to time and say, “Thank you, Joe for all that you taught me. And thank you for being such a good priest.” He was my boss in San Alfonso Retreat House, Long Branch New Jersey. He was very different from my first boss - in my first assignment, Most Holy Redeemer, New York City - Lower East Side. G.  was good, but he could be gruff - and I wiggled my jaw back and forth at times seeing that. Where did I learn that trick from - shifting my lower jaw - when I don’t like? Was I imitating someone? I haven’t figured that one out yet.

One time G’s brother said to me, “How’s my brother doing as your boss?”  I paused and said something. Then his brother said the following about his brother the priest. “Let me tell you something about G. He has a tough personality and we always said that he made the most of a bad personality - when he became a priest.”  That was helpful - very helpful - and I became a lot less hard on him.

I learned from Joe, the second guy, some positive tricks of the trade. 

For example, “When you get a new assignment, keep your mouth shut and don’t try to make any changes for at least a year and a day.”

I’ve noticed that some new bosses and new people try to make changes immediately - maybe to prove to others they have arrived and they are in charge or have talents or what have you.

I don’t know which is the better path, but by comparison and imitation - I know I have learned what I have learned. I prefer the wait and see model.

I think of this when it comes to re-marriages and being a step-parent. “Do I speak up or step back or what have you - till I have earned my presence around here?”

I think of this when a teacher is hired in a new school or how a teacher does his or her first day and first week of school.

I assume this is an issue with a new coach or manager or public official.

I assume both have their merits - and each of us has to be our best. I’m only saying that awareness of what we’re doing is a key reality.

Joe also taught me that on hospital calls, it’s the people around the bed -who are more important than the person in the bed. Those are the ones he was very concerned about.  Other priests don’t see it like that. So….

OKAY, IS THAT ENOUGH?

I got to this point in my homily and thought I asked some key questions.

Was this popcorn?  Was this stuff for the people in the benches today or for the person in the pulpit?

It was for you,  if during this homily you are sitting here thinking about who the key people in your life are - and how they taught you by rubbing off on you - or rubbing you the wrong way.

It was for you, if you are sitting here thinking about people in your life, whom you know - whom you wanted to be like or didn’t want to be like.

If was for you, if you are sitting here realizing you’ve been like Saint Paul whom we hear almost every Sabbath in a second reading. You’ve changed in life. You’ve learned in life. You were tough and then you became more tender.  You learned that Paul figured out it’s very simple: even though we sometimes have a milk can full of snakes in our soul - we can be hissing within too, too often - biting each other, and that can poison us - but we realized this doesn’t have to continue. Today he told us, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

It was for you, if you learned from Jesus that he -  like Paul - is calling us to follow him, imitate us, and enough with the excuses - like one of these days - or I’m still dealing with the death of my father or my mother - or a loved one. Instead put your hand to the plow and plant the kingdom of God where your standing - where you are. [Cf. today’s gospel: Luke 9:51-62]

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “CI Index: Comparisons and Imitation.”

This week - if you take the time to jot down 5 people whom you compare yourself to - brother, sister, co-worker, neighbor, boss, public figure, then if you index them, you can come up with some good information - on how you got to be who you are so far.

This week, if you take the time to index 5 people whom you are imitating or definitely not imitating, you also have some information for your consideration and prayer or what have you. If you are married, and you do this kind of stuff with your spouse, go for it.   

June  25, 2016

PLEASE LISTEN TO ME

Wait a minute.
Please listen to me.
Listen to my stories - 
listen to my songs,
even if you heard them before -
many, many times -
because these are the stories of my life,
they are my life.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2016

June 24, 2016

HELL  NO!

Even those who don’t believe there is a hell,

know there is a hell. For starters, it’s when

home is no longer home.  You just don’t feel

any peace there. No chair is a favorite chair.

The air is stale. The ceiling fan is still. It’s

silent. It’s turned off - like God - who all but

disappeared that Friday afternoon. I have

the feeling that forgiveness is impossible.

It’s when a relationship, a marriage, a love,

a friendship has gone sour. You’ve been

dumped, dropped, forgotten, rejected - and

you don’t taste what’s in your half empty

glass -  only the Nausea. The divorce of

Being and Nothingness ended in a marriage.

You feel there is No Exit. It’s then you know

what  Sartre said, “Hell is - other people.”[1]

“Abandon hope, all who enter here.” [2] That’s

Dante’s warning in his Inferno. Wait! Have hope

all who enter into this poem. Be a prodigal. 

Return home. There are others. Dante also wrote, Purgatorio and Paradiso. Turn on the ceiling fan. Feel the fresh air of the Spirit breathing Christ’s peace into your upper room. There is an exit.There is Easter. There is forgiveness. 

[1] Jean Paul Sartre, Huis-Clos
[No Exit] 1944, scene v
[2] Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy,
Inferno [c.1310-1320] Canto III, l. 9

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

June 23, 2016

WITHOUT  A  MOUTH

Sticks and stones and broken bones -

without a mouth, without a shout….

Someone needs to speak up, to come

up with words, with a shout out about

the dangers of weapons - from rocks

to Molotov cocktails - to assault rifles

with dozens and dozens of clips of

bullets - that can kill dozens and dozens

of people in minutes. Where is Isaiah?

Where is Joel? Where is Micah? Where

are the prophets who seem to scream to

plow all this money back into the land?

Where is Jesus screaming to put down the

swords - to sit down with bread and wine -

to speak words of peace with one’s enemies?

Cf. Isaiah 2:4; Joel 4:10; Micah 4:3;

 Matthew 26:52; John 18:11

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

THREE  IMAGES  OF  MARY

The title of my reflection for tonight is, “Three Images of Mary.”

The gospel story - Luke 2: 22-35 - which I picked for this evening ends with the words, “a sword will pierce your own soul so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.”

Millions and millions of people down through the ages have knelt, sat, stood before an image of Mary - or said the rosary - made a novena - and laid bare their thoughts to her - to themselves and to our God.

So the title of my thoughts for tonight is, “Three Images of Mary.”

THREE IMAGES

The first image will be the favorite image of Mary for Pope Francis: Our Lady of the Knots.

The second image will be that of Our Lady or Our Mother of Perpetual Help - the cause and main focus of  tonight’s service.

The third image will be your favorite image of Mary - the Mother of God, the Mother of Jesus, our Mother Mary, the Patron of this church - St. Mary’s Church, Annapolis, Maryland.

FIRST IMAGE: OUR LADY OF THE KNOTS

Pope Francis has made known to us his favorite image of Mary, Our Lady of the Knots - or better "Mary, Untier of the Knots."

He saw it in Austria when he was studying in Europe as a Jesuit from Argentina.

It’s a Baroque painting that goes back to around 1700 - painted by Johann Georg Schmidtner.

It’s in St. Peter am Perlach’s Church in Augsburg, Germany.

Like the painting of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, it has angels in the painting - but a lot more than the Perpetual Help ikon. It also has stars. A thread runs down the center of the picture. Mary’s foot is on the knotted snake - from Genesis 3:15.

Below that are small figures: a man walking along with his dog and an angel. Authorities say it’s the angel Raphael accompanying Tobias on his way to ask Sarah to be his wife.

A further explanation for the figures at the bottom of the painting is the story that the benefactor of the painting wanted the story told about his grandfather being guided by the Archangel Raphael to see a priest - Father Jacob Rem - when he was having marriage problems that needed to be unknotted.

But the main story is central image of Mary untying our knots.

And that’s what I hear Pope Francis pushing when he got back to Argentina and promoted this picture of Mary - and that’s the grab I picked up - from those who like this image of Mary.

Pray to her to untie your knots - in family, at work, in parishes, in life, wherever. 

Things can get knotted up.

We’ve all have had knots in our shoes laces, our rosaries or what have you.

SECOND IMAGE: OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP

Another pope, Pope Pius IX - in 1865 - asked us Redemptorists to promote this image of Our Lady or Our Mother of Perpetual Help - and that we did - all around the world - especially through the Wednesday Novena.

We are celebrating 150 years of doing this around the world beginning this week. The image of our Lady of Perpetual Help is Rome - and Father Tizio and so many other Redemptorists are there at this time on that pilgrimage - and they hope to see other Redemptorist holy places as well.

As you know the Icon goes back to at least 1499 - to the island of Crete where it was for years. Then it was stolen and brought to Rome and ended up in a church - where the Redemptorists built a church and our headquarters years later. So that’s how it came into our lives.

It has two angels in the painting: Gabriel and Michael. The third of those archangels is Raphael.  That could be a tie in with Mary, Untier of the Knots, painting.

Another tie in is our need for help when we are knotted up.

For the sake of transparency, I grew up in  Brooklyn and our parish and church was  Our Lady of Perpetual Help - OLPH.

For the sake of transparency, my first job in life was that of candle boy at OLPH.

Mrs. O’Leary needed help. So two boys would do the candles  every Sunday Morning - every Wednesday afternoon and evening - at the Novena - and every Saturday afternoon and evening at confessions time.

We would take out on metal cookie trays - fresh 10 cent candles - they lasted 2 hours of so - whatever it was - and we wore leather hand ball gloves - that were filled with wax - and with a metal gadget, pick the square metal wick holder - all that was left from the burnt out candle - and put in a new candle in the red glass candle holder - that was on the candle rack - sort of like the ones in this church right before us.

They paid us $2.50 cents a week. There it was my first lesson in life. “Don’t work for the church. They don’t pay well.”

The second lesson was the unconscious lesson that people were praying for help. They were worried about sons in Korea. They were worried about marriages. They were worried about sick parents. They were praying to Mary for help.

It took me a while to get that the number one prayer in the world is the word, “Help!”

I am knotted up, “Help.”

I am worried, “Help.”

I need a job, “Help!”

I need a husband, “Help.”

I need a wife, “Help!”

It wasn’t till many years later that I read in the English Classic Spiritual Book, The Cloud of Unknowing, that a person in a burning building doesn’t need to be taught what to say, when he or she is in that building. If it’s on fire, scream, “Help.”

It took me time to figure out what that book was saying: When it comes to God and life, learn the short words - the one syllable words and get to know them. God. Sin. Help.

In time I figured out prayer can be summed up in 4 prayers - each a short basic word: Help. Sorry. Thanks and Wow.

In time I figured out that we need to use those 4 words not only with God, but also with each other every day: Help, Sorry. Thanks. And Wow.

If we can’t say them to each other, how can we say them to God.

Tonight I’m stressing Help.

St. Alphonsus said that this was the key to our salvation: prayer of asking for help.

It’s the first step - asking for help - then getting the wisdom to do what’s next. I love the saying, “Pray for potatoes, but pick up a shovel.”

Light a candle, but then go to the want ads.

And everyone who has seen the movie, My Cousin Vinny, knows that Vinny didn’t like help. He had to do everything on his own. He didn’t want help - till he realize he needed his girlfriend, Mona Lisa Vito. He needed an old Judge friend in New York. Judge Molloy.

THIRD IMAGE: OUR IMAGE OF MARY

The third image of Mary  is your image of Mary.

What is your favorite image of Mary?

Tell each other. Lay bare as the gospel reading I picked at the beginning - the thoughts you have about Mary in your spiritual life.

 A few days ago I was talking to Father Bob Wojtek about this talk and I told him I was looking for images of Mary that told a story: like Mary, the Untier of Knots. That’s a story. You see the big string right down through the center of the picture.

The picture of OLPH is also story. It has Jesus scared and running so fast to Mary - that his sandal falls off as he leaps into her arms.

It’s a scene and a moment that has happened to every kid that has ever lived. We get scared at times. Where’s mommy? We stress and still bite our thumb nails at times.

Help!

So I told Father Bob I was looking for images of Mary with something in her hands and he says, “The Child.”

I laughed at the obvious.

Surprise. There are many, many,  statues and images of Mary that have the child in her arms - or the dead Christ, the Pieta, the Sorrowful Mother, images.

But I was looking for something else to come up with for  my third image of Mary besides the one Pope Pius 9^th told us Redemptorists to promote, OLPH, and  the one Pope Francis pushed in Argentina and Latin America, the Untier of the Knots.

I could not come up with a third, so I came up with this idea.

Get a piece of paper and a pen - or crayons - or clay  - and make one’s own  image of Mary - but make it a story - like so many images of Mary.

In doing this myself, I came up with two first draft  images. But I’m not an artist.

The first would be a bronze of Mary  standing there - lifting up the hem of her garment and pointing to Jesus to touch the hem of his garment as the gospel story puts it and her mouth and her face is yelling, “Ahem. Touch the hem of his garment and be healed.”

That’s our theology of Mary. She is not God - she points us to Jesus and he can help us enter deeper and deeper into the story of God - into the trinity.

The second image would also be a bronze or a painting and Mary is standing there next to 6 large water jars - pointing to Jesus, “Work a miracle. This marriage is out of wine.”

CONCLUSION

Want a great job description on how to do life well? It’s “help!”  It’s a nice short word like “love” but it’s loaded with the call to act.

As the song goes, “Don’t talk about love, show me.”

Isn’t that what Mary did in the gospels, and all through the years in our church? 

Better: hasn't she been a perpetual help, perpetually?

June 22, 2016

JESUS? RIGHTY OR LEFTY?

Those who are right - and know they

are right, claim Jesus as their own.

You’re wrong! I’m right! Case closed!

And those who are left - and know they are

left, know they are left with Jesus as well.

You’re wrong! I’m left! Case closed!

And we’ll never know - whether Jesus was

righty or lefty that day he wrote in the dust.

You’re right! There is nobody left to judge you.

Cf. John 8: 1-11

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

COVENANTS: 

WRITTEN  AND  UNWRITTEN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my  for this 12^th Wednesday in Ordinary Time is, “Covenants: Written and Unwritten.”

Today’s first reading ends with the statement, “And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.” [Cf. 2 Kings 23: 3.]

If we had a photograph of that crowd that day - would we be able to read body language, faces, to see if all were enthusiastic with their “Amen!”

The word “covenant” is used four times in today’s first reading - 2 Kings 22: 8-13, 23: 1-3 - and it appears 289 times in this New American Bible translation of the Bible.

So I thought I’d give a few basic  thoughts about the idea of “Covenants: Written and Unwritten.”

FIRST OF ALL - MEANINGS OF THE WORD COVENANT

First of all the word covenant is still used - especially in church.

It has declined in use out there in the marketplace - government - family - and in dealings with one another. At least that’s my perception.

Covenants are agreements, approvals, consents, contracts, endorsements.

Covenants are an “Amen” - giving the green light to - “Yes” vote towards - consensus - co-signing - go along with - dittos - shake hands on - signed or undersigned - sealed the deal - sworn to - good.

If you live in Sherwood Forest, or Heritage Harbor, do you have to sign a covenant?

 RELIGIOUS COVENANTS

In our lifetime, the word “covenant” is regularly used in religious ceremonies - marriages, mass, prayers.

We are people of the covenant: the old and the new covenant.

Marriage is a legal contract - because we’re dealing with property and money and children and rights.

We add the word “covenant” - especially when we have marriages in the context of a religious ceremony.

WRITTEN AND UNWRITTEN, CONSCIOUS OR UNCONSCIOUS

Without knowing it at times, we make covenants with each other all the time.

We know there is often an unwritten covenant going on when we get angry - really angry with another.

We assume that everyone has signed on to keep the Golden Rule - and when that is broken uh oh! The other does dirty to us.

We assume the great unwritten rule for all human beings is, “Fair is fair!”

Little kids let us know about this basic human covenant - whenever it comes to cake and cookies.

When driving and we come to a “Men Working” sign, there is an assumption all will honest and not sneak up on others - not allowing others to jump three cars - instead of every other car.

Fair is fair in traffic - while waiting to get into a restaurant - what have you?

Dictators who have not signed the Hague Convention of 1899 and 1907 - with its Declaration of Human Rights - are arrested at times and have to appear for trial at the Hague - for breaking basic human rights.

That’s covenant stuff. That’s Nuremburg Trial stuff.

SERMON ON THE MOUNT COVENANT MATERIAL

We have been plowing through the Sermon on the Mount these 3 weeks

Is Jesus saying that there are unwritten expectations for all people - basic human goodness - like in today’s gospel - not to be a ravenous wolf when the other expects us to be a good sheep. Is Jesus saying, “Hey, guy, hey gal, you’re expected to bear good fruit. That’s a no brainer, dummy. Get it?

TODAY’S FEAST DAY

Besides Saint Paulinus of Nola, today is the feast of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More - who were face to face with keeping church law or Henry VIII’s wishes.  They went with the King of Heaven and they both lost their heads - on this conflict of covenants.

CONCLUSION

We’re here today - and at every Mass to pronounce our Amen to the new and eternal covenant of Jesus.

And at the Great Amen to that covenant, the priest holds up the chalice - as the Father of the Bride does at every his daughter’s wedding and we say, “Amen” and at communion we add, “I’ll drink to that.”