LET IT SNOW,
LET IT SNOW
Charles Carroll House
Annapolis, Maryland
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Friday, December 8, 2017
December 8, 2017
IMMACULATE
IMMACULATE
How would God clean off a counter,
if God was a waiter or waitress?
How would God sweep the steps,
if God was a mom or a janitor?
How would God draw with crayons
if God was in kindergarten?
How would God clean a kids's cut knee,
if God was a loving Father?
How would God create a mother,
when God was creating Mary?
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2017
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
WHERE ARE YOU?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is a question: “Where Are You?”
I don’t remember homilies or sermons. Do you? I never remember what was said. Do
you? Does anyone remember sermons? I’ve asked people that question. People usually pause when asked that
question. Then sometimes, someone
mentions one or two homilies.
That used to give me pause. That used to get me to ask
another question: Then why preach.”
Then I realized I don’t even remember the ones that I
preach.
ANDY CUSACK SERMON
Thinking back, I do remember
a sermon I heard some 40 years ago by a
priest named Andy Cusack. Then every time I hear today’s first reading from
Genesis - for this feast of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, I remember that
sermon by Andy Cussack.
Now I don’t remember the whole sermon or what was the occasion -- whether it was the feast of the Immaculate Conception or what, -- but I distinctly remember his main point - “Where are you?”
He preached on the key question in tonight’s first reading
from Genesis, “Where are you?”
“Where are you?”
After that I don’t know what he said, but that question was
enough.
Where are you?
Isn’t that a great question.
And for the last 25 years on and off I have remembered that
question in that sermon. Moreover, I have found myself answering that question
on and off.
AT ST. MARY’S
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
Where are you?
You could answer that you’re here at St. Mary’s Church, Annapolis,
Maryland and it’s December 8, 2017.
Adam doesn’t answer, “In the garden….” He says, “I heard you in the garden, but I
was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.”
Then Adam unravels…. and we find out that Adam has changed.
He has moved from innocence to shame - then blame….
He - along with Eve - find themselves in a new place.
THERE ARE MANY
WAYS OF HEARING THAT QUESTION
Now we can answer the
question - “Where are you?” in various ways. We can answer where our soul is -- where our heart
is -- where we are in your life.
“Where am I?
We could say, “Well, actually, I’m in a good place.
We could say, “In fact, I’m in a better place than I was 10
years ago.
“I’m more patient.
“I’m more understanding.
“I’m certainly more humble. I guess making a lot of mistakes
helps one be just that. Humble
“I’m more at peace with myself and with those I live with.”
Where are you?
Or we might answer just the opposite.
“Where am I?
“I’m not so hot lately.
“I’m edgy. People are getting on my nerves a lot more than
usual.
“To be honest, I guess I’m being over sensitive. Things that
never use to bother me are bothering me now.
“I’m not praying enough and I’m not trusting in God enough.
“I’m lazy or I’m too tired lately.
“I’m being difficult with those I live and work with.
Where am I?
Or we might answer, “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought
about that.
“Let me become quiet and let me think about that. It’s a
good question.”
WHERE AM I? USING
THE READINGS
Where am I?
To be naked, to be honest, I’m sort of like Adam and Eve in this reading
tonight.
I’m blaming others.
I’m hiding from God.
I’m not being honest.
I’m running.”
Where am I?
Or I might be like Mary in tonight’s gospel. At this stage of my life I want to ask God
questions. Unlike Mary, who asked questions early on, I’ve put off my questions
to this stage in my life.
Where am I?
Or I might say, “Well, to be honest, I’m very grateful to
God for the good things that have been happening in my life.
“God is very good to me.
“He’s giving me lots of graces.
“Now I’m not full of grace like Mary here, but I have been
given some grace.
“God is very present.
“My prayer life is much better than it has been in the past.
“I’m no longer just saying prayers. I am able to question
God like Mary does here. Praise God.
“And when I do pray, God seems to send me to those who need my gifts. So like Mary here I’ve been more aware of those in need.
“Now I’m not saying that I’m like Mary and I’m without sin
in my life. There has been enough of that in my life, but right now I’m getting
there. I’m being blessed.
CONCLUSION
Where are you?
Each of us has to answer that question.
It’s the first question in the Bible and it’s a good one.
I suggest you take the next 40 years and every once and a
while ask your self that question or better as in today’s first reading, hear
God asking you the question, Where are you?
December 7, 2017
HOPING
Sitting, just sitting, just talking,
just coffee at McDonald's or
the Diner from 9 till 11 and
then making their way home
to an empty kitchen table.
Sitting, just sitting, just watching,
just waiting on a couch near the
nursing home front door - hoping
today a kid will show - but not today,
so the slow crawl back to an empty bed.
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2017
December 6, 2017
NO LIMITS
Inner and outer limits….
Are there any?
How far can we go into inner space?
How far can we go into outer space?
Is there a wall, an edge, out there
beyond which we cannot go?
Is there a within, the deepest within,
within which, we cannot go?
Will a new Columbus arrive
thinking she or he has sailed
to the border of the within or without
and they end up at the beginning
of the opposite
of where they thought they were?
Circles do reappear.
God is everywhere.
© Andy Costello,
Reflections 2017
WHAT WOULD YOU
LIKE TO SEE?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this First Tuesday in Advent is from today’s gospel, “What would you like
to see?”
In this gospel text from Luke, Jesus turns to his
disciples in private and says, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For
I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not
see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” [Cf. Luke 10: 23-24.]
What would you like to see?
We often watch the evening news from Baltimore at 10 PM
on WBAL. It regularly begins with two
murders and one fire. I would like to see instead news about a new park - and
hear about a night without murders and fires.
I would like to see news about a new vaccine for
overcoming cancer.
I would like to see the Koch Brothers or other big donors
giving money to double teacher’s salaries in poor neighborhoods rather than
that money being given to political parties.
I would like to see that the Catholic Church make some of
these possible changes in the annulment process and divorces that Pope Francis
talked about.
I would like to see an end to abortion and more people
who have had abortions giving those children for adoption.
WHAT ISAIAH SAW
In today’s first reading from Isaiah 11: 1-16 we have some of the great visions that Isaiah saw.
He saw a stump - the remains of a sawed down tree - but he saw a shoot coming out of that stump
and blossoming. What looked dead is not
dead.
Two people looked at the ground. One saw a stump; the
other saw a shoot.
Isaiah saw the Spirit of
God coming down on people who seemed dead. Instead out came a spirit of
counsel and of strength, a Spirit of
knowledge and of fear of the Lord .
He saw people not judging by appearance or hearsay.
He saw Justice arising.
Then his imagination takes over and he says he see the
wolf being the guest of the Lamb, the leopard lying down with the kid, the calf
and the young lion browsing together.
THE PEACABLE
KINGDOM
It’s the vision of the Peaceable Kingdom painted from
Isaiah’s words - by Edward Hicks. He did 62 versions of that scene.
I’d like to see one of those check off lists - like
people have for all the Major League Ball Parks - and in time people would
travel to get to be in at many as possible - so I’d like to see lists for all
the Edward Hicks paintings of the Peaceable Kingdom - and people would try to
get to see as many as possible.
How about having the same idea - having lists for all the
National Parks etc.
CONCLUSION
Today make lists of what you would like to see.
For family, for beauty, for the world, for this parish,
for this Christmas.
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