DOES EVERYONE?

Does the other fellow ever long for the green grass in my yard or the new car in my driveway?
Does anybody want to be someone else and not themselves?
Does everyone want to be somewhere else and not here?
Does every married person feel lust for someone other than their spouse?
Does everyone say, “Why the heck and I doing this?”
Does everyone long for a vacation, but not with their family?
Does everyone who never went to college feel inferior to those who have a college degree?
Does everyone who goes to college find out that the biggest thing that college teaches is that smartness doesn’t come that way?
Does everyone feel stupid for at least three days after they made a dumb mistake or made a stupid remark?
Does everyone feel pride in themselves after they had a baby or wrote a song or scored the winning touchdown?
Does everyone like to dress up every once and a while and feel the joy that comes with a compliment?
Does everyone feel amazed at the size and structure of a baby’s hand – especially the pinkie?
Does everyone get scared about death at least once a month especially when they get older?
Does everyone have stuff they are scared to tell anyone else about?
Does everyone wonder if they really know anyone else?
Does everyone – sitting there on a bus or plane say, “I ought to write a book about my life. Nobody would believe it.”?
Does everyone leak?
Does everyone get more serious in the rain or when they are in pain?
Does everyone wonder – even in church – “Is this for real?” or “Is there anything after this?” and they mean, God and death?
Does everyone have a list of questions like this?

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

FOOTPRINTS

I only seem to notice them in the snow
or on the evening beach, or on the moon,
or in poems and prayers about footprints.

I never seem to notice footprints
on the paths of my own stories,
in my hurts or in my all alones.

I forget to ask a friend if they ever walked
down this feeling – this beach – this path
this other side of the moon where I am right now.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

OH NOTHING!

I said, “Oh nothing!”

We both knew nothing
is always something.

“Nothing” sometimes
wears barbed wire.

The “Nothing” answer
can have that guttural sounding
echo, the “uuuuum”.

This “Nothing!”
comes after a lot of
talking to myself inside my night.

This “Nothing”
comes after some twisting
and turning my head and neck
to ease the tension that is
sitting on my shoulders.

This “Nothing”
contains a lie in my smile
as I avoid your eyes.

So that’s why I said,
“Oh, it’s nothing!”
as we’re still stuck in traffic.
A bridge is out.
We have to detour
around each other
in order to avoid this nothing.

“So what are you thinking?”

“Oh nothing.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

AUTUMN LEAVES

A box of crayons
touched the leaves.

Photographers
grabbed their cameras.

Poets
grabbed their pens.

Cars slowed down.

Peoples stopped to gaze in awe.

So why don’t more people
visit their family and friends
in nursing homes?

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

UNEXPECTED WORDS

It’s these unplanned unexpected conversations
that bring a relationship, a family,
a parish, a friendship together,
like last Sunday when you and I
just happened to come out of church at the same time.
We just began to talk, standing there by our cars.
Or like that shopping trip last Saturday.
We didn’t decide to go together, but we did,
and we spoke the kind of words
that glue people together – hearing what the other feels.
As they say, “Thank God the electricity went out!
We really hadn’t talked to each other in years.
Yes, we need the meetings and the meals,
but it’s these unexpected moments at doorways
or when things fail, that we open up the doors.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

INSIDE JOB

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Inside Job.”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel from Luke [11:37-41], Jesus is telling us once more to be careful of not becoming stuck outside the cup – concentrating on externals – and not taking care of inside business.

There is that temptation to avoid the hard work of inside growth: attitude growth, value growth, spiritual growth. It’s the stuff only we and God see – and sometimes that causes us an, “Uh oh! Oh no!”

There is that temptation to stay outside, because it’s often messy inside. So we avoid the mess by being superficial – which literally means, “staying on the surface”. Concentrate on the look – clothes – symbols of honor. Try to look good out there like the Pharisees – or concentrate on what others are doing wrong or not to our liking.

Christianity is an inside and outside job – but it starts within. Daily conversion begins as an inside job – in the heart – in the inner room.

Hey, as Jesus said, it’s much easier spotting other’s faults instead of dealing with our own. Gossip is easier than prayer. Gossip is easier than Gospel – being bearer of Good News.

I love the end of today’s gospel. In spite of what Jesus just said, he gives us a way out. Even if our life is a mess inside – put something in the poor box. Be generous. At least help the poor.

And there were a lot of people needing help here last night – for assistance from the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Thank you for your generosity.

ROMANS

And today’s first reading from Romans, [1:16-25], Romans which we started yesterday – the great letter which Augustine, Luther, and Barth, and so many other greats and littles, have been challenged by, urges us inside – inside God. Paul challenges us to see God’s invisible attributes in creation. Study, ponder, consider, God’s visible creative works of art that surround us – and see the power and divinity of God in them.

The next time you see a spider web, study it. Be amazed at the engineering, before you pull it down with a cleaning rag or mop.

The next time you see a baby’s fingers or toes, study them for a few moments – then tickle them.

The next time you have a ginger ale or soda, just look at the fizzy bubbles jumping up in the glass. From time to time I love to pour a can of soda into a glass and put the glass up to my chin and feel the ginger ale bubbles hitting my chin. Try it. You’ll like it.

Go to art museums or cathedrals or go to the aquarium in Baltimore and look at all those amazing creations.

Next time it rains, put your tongue out and taste some rain drops. Imagine a second grader telling her classmates, “My 84 year old grandma loves to lick rain drops out of the air.”

It’s October. Soon we’ll be seeing all those autumn leaves – with the October colors of fire red and orange orange and banana yellow and then the brown and tan colors of November leaves. Be ready to hear the sound of leaves on November sidewalks – running with the wind – moving with a shuffling sound up and down the red bricks of Annapolis.

Paul is saying visible creation shows us the power of the invisible God – inside everything. It’s an inside job. Spot God. Be amazed by God. Tell God, “Nice job – God – thank you for another beautiful day of life.”

CONCLUSION

So instead of spotting stuff we don’t like in others – like the Pharisee in today’s gospel, spot outside stuff and make it inside stuff. Reflect on the little things of everyday – as well as the vast canvas of the night sky. Let the little child in you start crying and laughing. Have the time of your life with God. God is a great baby sitter. [Cf. Mark 10: 13-16]

Start within. Life is both an inside job and an outside job.

We do a better outside job – if we do a better inside job.

Isn’t that why we come inside Church, inside God, inside prayer, inside the cup, each morning – so we can go out and do great outside jobs as well? Amen.

[This was my homily for this morning, the 28th Tuesday in ordinary time. The picture is of a big spider web in St. Mary's Prayer Garden - spotted by Pam our chef!]

ITCH AND SCRATCH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Itch and Scratch.”

Today’s gospel [Mark 10:17-30] has the word “lacking” in it – and as I reflected on that word and idea – and I looked it up Greek [hustereo] – and all that – to get a better grasp at what might be going on here, the word “itch” hit me. It might have been the sound of “ck” and “ch” in those words: “lack” and “itch”. Or I might have been itching my ear at the time. I don’t know.

But I began to think about “Itch and Scratch.” And this is not an ad for the Maryland Lottery – those buy and scratch cards,

A SHORT QUESTIONNAIRE – 5 QUESTIONS

1) How many times in a day is it normal for someone to feel an itch and scratch it?

2) Do we have more itching and scratching of our skin in the winter than in the summer?

3) Do we itch and scratch more when we’re nervous or in traffic jams?

4) Do we itch and scratch when we lie?

5) Has anyone done any research on itching and scratching?

THE SPORTING SCENE

I was watching the Dodger 2nd playoff game the other night – I’ve been a Dodger fan all my life – and I was watching Andre Ethier of the Dodgers biting some skin on his right thumb – up near the nail. They were losing and the game was almost over. His biting that tiny bit of skin was ongoing – and the person with the camera was focusing on the faces of the Dodger players leaning on the railing at the edge of dugout. I noticed players scratching their noses – their ears, their hair. I’ll stop there. So maybe the answer to my 3rd question is: “Yes, we itch and scratch more, when we’re nervous.”

INNER ITCH

How about inner itches? How about an itch in our soul? How about spiritual itches?

The man in today’s gospel ran up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

What triggered this man to do this? Was it something Jesus said? Was he watching Jesus? Did he hear about Jesus? What caused the itch? Did Jesus’ scratch at the way to do life itch him?

WEDDINGS, BAPTISMS AND FUNERALS

My first two years as a priest was in a parish, Most Holy Redeemer, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. It was a fascinating experience. I was living and working in the East Village – 1967 - 1969 – right in the middle of the Hippie Revolution. Then I was changed to a retreat house in New Jersey and for the next 33 years I wasn’t a parish priest. I worked in two retreat houses, preached on the road – giving parish missions, priests’ retreats, nuns’ retreats, teaching, doing group work – all over the country. Then in August of 2002, I began this wonderful experience of being stationed here at St. Mary’s, Annapolis, just being a parish priest and not being a pastor and not having to worry about money or management. Couldn’t be better.

In general, the only weddings, funerals and baptisms before I got here were family ones. I discovered here at St. Mary’s an interesting phenomenon. The wedding is over, the funeral is over, the baptism is over, and someone afterwards comes over to me and says something about the Spirit – God – religion – that touched them. Something triggered an itch in them. Something scratched this person’s surface.

I think what happens is what happened to this man in today’s gospel. Something got itched during the wedding or funeral or baptism. They haven’t gone to church or synagogue or temple in the longest time – and something itches them. Their surface was scratched a bit during the service. To me it’s also exactly what today’s second reading is saying, “The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” The sword of the word gets in there – into a person – underneath their outside and as a result they have a spiritual itch. [Hebrews 4:12-13]

I am very sure of this. It’s happened to me a lot here at St. Mary’s in the past 7 years.

And afterwards, I find myself also scratching the surface of their comments.

Of course, I want to know what triggered a movement of grace – an itch of God – a scratch of God – on the skin of that person’s mind or soul.

To me to wonder about this is scary. It makes me nervous. It borders on mystery – guessing – judging. It borders on the idolatry – saying this is how God works. And I know, I don’t know the mind of God.

I know from studying preaching and movies and reading novels and being on the stage a bit in the seminary, the key to good preaching, writing, drama, is not noticing the actor or the writing, but the listener is noticing his or her’s own heart and own story. As priest, my prayer is that nobody notices me or what I’m saying or doing, but they are noticing themselves – scratching themselves and their own heart and family and life.

I also know that I can get in the way. I know that some people want to hear personal stuff from the preacher at times and others go crazy when the preacher mentions his family. I am aware that some preaching institutes teach that a good way to unfold a sermon is to proceed with these three steps: telling the preacher’s story, the scripture story, and then the listener’s story. I know the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 rule. One third like you, one third don’t like you, one third don’t care and don’t even notice you. My goal in preaching is that the only persons you notice are God and you.

I know that people want spirituality – want the personal – want a good story – want interesting – want challenge – want God when they come to church. I know that Greg Pierce, a writer out of Chicago, said that the Sunday sermon congregation spend most of their time – other than sleep – in two places: work and relationships – and too many sermons and much of spiritual writing don’t go there. (1)

Where do you itch for challenge – insight – a new take?

I pinch myself being stationed in Annapolis – with so many different people with so many different itches – and sometimes someone tells me about one of them – like after a wedding or a funeral or a baptism.

Amazing. Where do you itch?

THE MAN IN THE GOSPEL

The man in today’s gospel wanted more. This man came to Jesus with an itch for more – for something different in his life.

The man in today’s gospel has Mark saying this about him, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, ‘You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

With that look and with those words Jesus not only scratched the surface, but Jesus went inside this man – who was scratching his head about Jesus and life.

Jesus talked to the man and said to him, “You know the commandments” and the man said he knew and kept the commandments – since his youth.

Then Jesus really scratches the surface of this man and challenged him to let go of everything. At that his face fell. At that and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

This man had stuff – but perhaps without knowing it – he had a lack – and Jesus itched it.

It seems he wanted Jesus to scratch his back after he scratched Jesus back by calling him, “Good teacher” – and by kneeling down before Jesus. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

Then Mark presents Jesus’ observations about possessions and stuff. Possessions can possess us. Stuff can stuff us. Our soul can become so bloated – that we can’t fit through the eye of the needle – and enter into the Kingdom of God.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

The Kingdom of God – have you entered it yet? Have you scratched the surface of that one yet?

The Church is about the Kingdom – not vice versa. People get upset about the church all the time. Of course, the Church is people. There’s 1/3 characters in it we don’t like. The Church is not for itself. How many times do we churchy people have to hear this?

Hopefully, our itch is not for churchy stuff – but for kingdom stuff.

I spent 9 years in a job called “Novice Master” – preparing and screening young men who were figuring out whether they wanted to spend their lives – in the way Jesus talks about in today’s gospel – giving up everything – house, family, having wife and children, for the sake of the gospel and the kingdom. It was a one year experience and I did this with 9 different classes. It was a very interesting 9 years of my life – getting up close and personal – getting into the heart and mind of men – mostly in their twenties – trying to figure out what they were going to do with their lives.

Part of the process was to go to programs with similar young men and women who had entered the religious life – to become nuns, priests and brothers – people wanting to discern their future.
I was very aware of the old, old monastic saying, “Habitus non facit monachum.” “The habit doesn’t make the monk.”

The vestments, the churchy stuff, doesn’t make the priest.

The hats and the robes don’t make the pope or bishop.

In my opinion, in my judgment, in my way of seeing, unfortunately I saw people wanting the habit, the robes, the externals. Sometimes it’s the reason some knocked on our doors and began the process – but my hope was they would discover Jesus – and the Kingdom – and hear Jesus trying to knock that outlook out of them – as he did with the Pharisees who wanted tassels and front seats – and recognition – and as a result they couldn’t fit into the kingdom of God. (2)

Scratch the surface. Get to the inner stuff. Discover the essence not the look. Be like Columbus – leave home, set sail into the unknown in search of something – only to discover you’ve discovered something else. Life. And Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and that you have it to the full.” [Cf. John 10:10a]

SHAKESPEARE

It’s the stuff Shakespeare is getting at – over and over again – in his plays.

Read the “To be or not to be” speech in Hamlet. “That is the question.” How to deal with life’s slings and arrows – "a sea of troubles" – “the heartache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to.” Is the purpose of life to sleep – to dream – to die – "to shuffle of this mortal coil" – or is it, instead to go deeper – “to face enterprises of great pith and moment”? [3]

All these things are "the rub" – as Shakespeare puts it – the stuff beneath the look, the clothes, the glitter, the possessions, the skin, till we discover the stuff on the kingdom.

The call of Jesus is to let go of everything – to squeeze through the eye of the needle – and when we get onto that other side – we’ll find ourselves laughing a lot more. We have a lot more of the wisdom today’s first reading is talking about. [Wisdom 7: 7-11] We’ll know a lot more – because the sword of the word – has opened us up so we can see the significant cuts we can make in our life. The letting go, the emptying, then the filling of the lack is what life is all about - so that we’ll find ourselves with Jesus in the kingdom he came to start.

CONCLUSION

When God gives you the itch, scratch.

Then, hopefully, you’ll see and experience Jesus looking you right in the eye and he’ll say, “Do you know what you’re lacking?”

And we’ll mutter a few things. Then he’ll really tell us.

Then we have the choice to make the cut or cut and run – like the guy in today’s gospel who walked away sad. Hopefully, we’ll stay like those who stayed and we'll too discover this new world – on the other side of the eye of the needle called "The Kingdom of God" – Life with Jesus - which goes on forever and ever. Amen!

[1] Gregory F. A. Pierce, Spirituality At Work, Loyola Press, Chicago, Illinois, 2001

[2] Matthew 23; Mark 12: 38-40; Luke 11: 37 to 12:3; Romans 2: 29

[3] Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3, 1, 56