2’S

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3 Saturday in Lent is, “2’s”

Here’s another one in today’s gospel.

“Two people  went up to the temple area to pray: one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.”

That’s a 2.

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

Two teaching tricks for  2’s are comparison and contrast.

The teacher presents two different characters - contrasts both of them - making them very different - and then asks the student to compare both of them and then learn from the differences.  Hopefully, we see ourselves in the story.

JESUS GAVE US SEVERAL  2’S

Jesus gave us various  2’s, He also gave us 3’s and 4’s as well - but this morning I’m just going with 2’s.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells us about a man who had 2 sons. One son messed up big time. The other was a goody goody.  When the bad son - who is the youngest - came home - out of selfishness and stupidity - he gets welcomed home by his dad - who throws him a party and celebrates his return. However,  the older brother won’t forgive the younger brother or go into the house to welcome his brother home.  

They are complete opposites. Jesus contrasts them big time and asks us to compare ourselves with both. Who am I like?

In Matthew 25 we hear about God the Great Shepherd separating the sheep from the goats. He is asking us to see the contrast between both and compare ourselves - to see if I’m a sheep or a goat. If  I feed  the hungry,  get someone who is a thirsty something to drink, if I visit the sick or those imprisoned, then I’m a sheep.  Or am I someone who doesn’t do anything for others,  then obviously I am a  goat.

In Luke 10  am I like Martha or Mary?

In Matthew 7 - am I taking the narrow road or the busy road?  One leads to life; one leads to death the other leads to death.

On the cross am I like the good thief or the bad thief.  

In Luke 21- the rich put tons of money into the poor box - and the poor widow put two small coins in - and she put in more than all the others.

BACK TO TODAY’S GOSPEL

Back to today’s gospel, compare the contrast Jesus made of these 2 people in the story.

The Pharisee went up front to be seen. The tax collector, the sinner, stayed in the back and wouldn’t even look up with his eyes.

The Pharisee was making his prayer a selfie. He was talking about how great he was and how bad the guy the guy in the back was.  The Pharisee said he fasted 2 times a week and paid tithes or taxes on his stuff.  The tax collector talked to God - prayed to God, “O God  be merciful to me a sinner.”

The Pharisee was examining the other guy’s conscience - saying that guy is greedy, dishonest and adulterous. The poor guy then makes his confession.   “Oh God,  be merciful to me a sinner.”

CONCLUSION

John Fortescue - a  writer from the 1400's -  is the author of the well known comment, “Comparisons are odious.” I would say, “Sometimes they are; and sometimes they can teach us a lot.”

March 10, 2018

Thought for today: 

“Mirrors should reflect a little before throwing back images.”  

Jean Cocteau (1891-1963), Des Beaux-Arts

March 10, 2018

FLUTE

Instead of AR-15 rifles,

how about arming kids

with a flute, an oboe

or a violin.  How about

playing music instead of

skunk spraying anger at others?

How about using our fingers

to toss a Frisbee  or to play a piano

in place of bullying others with tweets?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018 

THIS IS MY KINGDOM

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3^rd Friday in Lent is, “This Is My Kingdom.”

In today’s gospel  (Mark 12: 28-44) Jesus says to the scribe [Translation: one who could write - one who is educated], “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Somewhere along the line preaching and talking about the theme of “The Kingdom of God” - faded and fell away - at times.

I don’t remember hearing too many sermons describing the kingdom of God. I’m sure I’ve preached various sermons about it down through the years.  But I’ve always felt that I neglected doing much research on that theme.

I’ve heard different theologians say that Jesus was more interested in bringing about the kingdom than bringing about a church - but I never followed up on that comment.

Speakers  have also stressed that the church realized something more visible than an invisible kingdom had to be founded  - one that has more structure and guidelines and organization - than the idea of the kingdom - which can be more vague and shadowy than a church.

The church would have more organization features than a kingdom. The idea of a church is more objective; the idea of a kingdom is more subjective.

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD SOMEONE SAY, “THIS IS MY KINGDOM.”

I’m sure we have all heard that - or the offshoot, “This is my castle.”

A man stands there in his house with his arm around his wife’s shoulder. Their house is big. He has finally risen in his company high enough to afford a big house.

He has his neighbors over for a dinner. His kids are playing downstairs and upstairs and on the stairs and they are having a great time. There is nice music in the background. He says to his neighbors - scanning the dining room and living room and he says, “This is my kingdom.” Then squeezing his wife, he says to all, “And here is my queen.”

That scenario comes in various comments and colors and scenes.

If we get that story - that scene - we have a glimpse of what Jesus was about.

We pray down deep each day for our ideal situation - which we think is God’s ideal situation. That’s could be what we are praying for at times when we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come” in the Our Father.

More or less we are all dreamers. We want peace in the valley - peace in the air - happiness in the family - a good job - things going pretty well for everyone - and if we consider ourselves religious, we put God in that picture.

LABELS

I’ve noticed that we don’t tend to say, “I am a kingdom of God person.”

We say, “I am a Christian.”  or “I am a Catholic.”

Or we might also say, “I am a conservative or a liberal  or a Third Order Franciscan.”

We might say, “I’m an Irish or an Italian or a Polish American. We might say we’re a New Englander or a Southern or a Californian or a Chicagoan or a Marylander or an Annapolitan.

But we don’t say, “I am a kingdom of God person.

TODAY: A KINGDOM PERSON

Today, in this homily, I would like to get us thinking about being a Kingdom of God person.

That would mean for starters that we try to love the Lord our God with our whole heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength.

That would mean we try to love our neighbor as ourselves.

The beauty of this could be - we can be on the same page with Jews and Moslems and Protestants - because the idea of a kingdom is not exact - like a specific religion - with some visible signs of membership.

CONCLUSION

This is said not to confuse or water down Christianity - but to move towards some common ground with each other - not just as human but as good human beings who believe in God and try to put into practice values that Jesus stressed.

March 9, 2018

Thought for today: 

“Women are wiser than  men  because they know less and understand more.” 

James Stevens  (1882-1950), The Crock of Gold [1930]. chapter 2.

Agree or disagree? Was this ever true?

March 9, 2018

SALT AND PEPPER

If you had to describe

a friend would you want

them to taste like

and be nicknamed

salt or pepper?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018 

March 8, 2018

Thought for today:

 Mother Teresa  when she was a young woman

“The biggest  disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis but rather the feeling of being  unwanted, uncared for, and deserted by everybody.  We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.” 

Mother Teresa