COMMANDMENTS:  

YOU HAVE CHOICES,  

YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT?  

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Monday in Lent is, ”Commandments: You Have Choices, You Know That, Right?”

Today’s readings trigger some thoughts about the commandments.

TEN COMMANDMENTS

The first reading contains one of lists Commandments as found in the Old Testament – and you’ll find some of those listed commandments in the New Testament as well.

When we mention commandments to people, my guess and my assumption is that they will think of the 10 Commandments first.

People will picture the stone tablets that are mentioned in the Jewish Scriptures – as well as the stone granite monuments with the 10 Commandments etched into the stone on lawns and buildings. They’ll think about the attempts at times to have them removed from buildings etc. because of desires to separate church from state. 

We can smile at that, because various Biblical scholars hold that the 10 Commandments in the Bible can be traced to the Hammurabi Code which is much earlier than the 10 Commandments in the book of Leviticus which we heard today. So they are both religious and government.  In other words – they come from the state and they then became Jewish law and then were considered religious.

OTHER CHOICES FOR RELIGIOUS COMMANDMENTS

But there are other choices.

There was the Jewish story that rabbis were asked to sum up the Law while standing on one foot.  You also know there were 613 laws or commandments  in the Old Testament.  So standing on one foot would be tricky business.

I like the scenes in the New Testament when Jesus was challenged on what was the Law, what was the main commandment – and we have two versions of that struggle Pharisees and others had with Jesus on this.

You shall love the Lord your God with your whole mind, soul and strength and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Those are the two and the greatest commandments.

JOHN SHEA

John Shea told the story about how he was in the rectory one Sunday morning and there was a phone call. He figured it would be someone wanting to know what time the next Mass was. It would be nice to talk to a live person over an answering machine.

The person on the other side says, “I was just in the kitchen with my kids and we’re having an argument about the 10 commandments. I don’t know what the last 2 are – could you give me them right now?”

John Shea says: “Oops he couldn’t remember them right then and there either.” So he told the truth and said, “Sorry.”

To me that’s like the Act of Contrition. Who said we have to say the formula? I tell people in confession, you don’t have to follow the formula. You can simply say, “Lord have mercy.”  That would obviously be better if we are rattling off prayers without thinking. Or I tell people I have never said the formula Act of Contrition since high school but have said since the first year of high school. “Lord it hurts to have hurt you or others, but please stand by while I try again.”

Or wouldn’t a better list than the 10 commandments be the beatitudes or the list of commandments in today’s gospel: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison.

CONCLUSION

So that’s my homily on the Commandments.  We have choices. In fact, I like Paul’s commandment from Galatians 6:2. Bear one another’s burdens, and thus you shall fulfill the Law of Christ.

February 23, 2015

SELF TEST #  10

If I were a bird,

I’d want to be a hawk

or an eagle and have

all the other birds

scared of me.

If I were a bird,

I’d want to be

a nightingale

or any singing bird

bringing music

to  the backyards.

If I were a bird,

I’d want to be an owl,

being wise enough

to know all there is

to know in all the

neighborhood.

If I were a bird,

I’d want to be

a bluebird or a

cardinal or a

canary bringing

a bit of color to

someone who

sees life in only

black and white.

If I were a bird

I’d want to be

a bird who travels

thousands and

thousands of miles

knowing there is

much more to see.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

COVENANT

INRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Sunday in Lent [B] is, “Covenant.”

Today’s first reading from Genesis has the word “covenant” 5 times.

Besides that, when celebrating Mass together,  we often hear the word, “covenant” – so I thought I’d preach a few words about covenant today.

I’d begin by saying, “We already have an understanding of what a “covenant” is. Then, by thinking about and pulling together what we already know about covenants – we will have a greater awareness of our religion and our life.

BASIC MEANING

A covenant is a deal, an agreement, a contract, between parties.

I’ll do this and you’ll do that. Agree or disagree?

I'll do this, if you'll do that.

WRITTEN OR UNWRITTEN

Before most people could write, covenants were made by word, ceremony and gesture. “Raise your right hand and repeat after me.”

Place your hand on the Bible and repeat after me ....

The Bible is also wonderful for helping us understand that people make deals, agreements, covenants with each other.

It also says we have deals and expectations of God and God for us.

Hey God, enough with the snow. How about it?  But then again, thanks for the water and thanks for seasons – sometimes. You’re supposed to know, God, when enough, is enough.

Or then do we slip in, “Or are you getting even with Boston – for possible cheating in that playoff game with the Ravens?”

Human beings don’t change on the basics. Our eyes – our ears - observing – listening - we could say, “We know all about basic human understandings. We’re still the same after all these years.”

Have you heard any comments like the following?  They are all statements about supposed agreements or covenants. “But I thought we agreed we’d meet at 6:30.”  “You  bring the beer; I’ll bring the sandwiches.”  “If I shoveled the snow out of that spot in front of my house, I assume you wouldn’t take that spot.”

Expand that scenario and we have boundaries for large parts of land in the Ukraine or in  the Middle East and all over the world – down through history.

If you’re married have you ever had a disagreement about emptying the dishwasher, date night, the TV remote clicker, seat left up, which side of the bed is yours and which side is mine?

If you have kids, who sits where in the kitchen or in the car, who goes to bed when, what time you have to be home, who puts out the garbage. Teenagers who were not part of the making of some covenants fight some of its principles. For example,  we go to church in this family, etc.?

If you have a dog, who walks him or her?

So back when people couldn’t write, there were covenants about all kinds of things.  So too today, there are all kinds of agreements, covenants, between people - many of which are not written down - but they are assumed.

And when broken, there is trouble in Houston or on Route 50 in Maryland and on West Street in Annapolis or Main Street in some town in Alaska. I don't know about you, but I find myself saying of some drivers at times, "You’re supposed to use your blinker."  or "Stay in the right lane if you’re keeping the speed limit, you idiot!"

Is there an agreed upon covenant, with rules like: Pick up after your dog. No loud outside music at 1 in the morning – or no loud inside music at 12 o’clock, midnight  – if you live in an apartment complex with thin walls.

Then there are also the million and one written rules and regulations that are part of society or life with one another.

So we know what covenants are all about.

RELIGIOUS COVENANTS

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as most religions we find that there are various covenants.

Here is where we bring God into the picture.

Hey, God, if we do this, this, this, and this, can you promise us good weather.

There’s strength in numbers.  We see this in families. Check out families.  We Smith’s, we O’Brian’s, we Napoli’s, we Jorgensen’s, stick together. We’re family. We’re blood. We're tribe. We're clan.

Read the Bible and see the power of family and clans.

Our blood – our previous DNA – was a sign of family unity.

When large groups of families unite, what do they insist upon to  make group – one?

In primitive people there are blood ceremonies. Blood from all mixed in one cup. In the Bible we hear about animals from the flocks of different families being sacrificed We read about blood from the slain animals are sprinkled on the people, and a gigantic meal follows.

In religious groups there is union by water and wine and ceremony and a common meal.  There is breaking of bread and sharing that together.

In the Book of Exodus, 24, there is mention of a big banquet in which Moses, Aaron and their sons – along with 70 elders of the different tribes - share a common meal together and with God to symbolize their covenant with each other and with God.

In time tribal and common agreements were written down and re-read every year on anniversaries, etc.

We know all this. We go to Mass together. We get together for thanksgiving. We say some prayers.  The family who does all this stays together by doing all this.

We see this when kids start skipping family meals.  We see this when families stop talking to each other. We know this when we see families sitting watching TV with supper in hand.

Every common 4 day  high school retreat I ask the small group I’m, “What is it like in your house at supper time or Sunday when you’re eating?”

If we are good at anthropology and the human condition, we know that getting a baby sitter, so we can have having a date night or a  weekend escape weekend helps a marriage. We know that when we stop talking to each other, and the main voice in a home is on the other side of a cell phone or coming from a TV set.

I am encouraged that on many retreats for young people around the country there is cell phone collection on the opening night of the retreat and they are given back on the way home.  Someone has picked up, we need to receive communion, in order to be in communion with each other.

Almost every baptism I’ve done in the last 5 years, I ask the couple to put their baby or twins on the main altar – put one hand on the baby – and repeat after me, “This is my body, this is my blood, we’re giving our life for you.”

That’s covenant with the baby.

I would suggest for Lent, to make sure you have a good family meal, at least once a week. Meat and agree on that. Then do it. And at that meal, everyone with one hand pointed to their heart and the other hand pointed to each other say out loud, “This is my body, this is my blood, I’m giving my life to you.”

That’s covenant. That’s communion.  Do that and we start to get the Mass.  Do that and we start to get covenant.  Do that and we start to get family.

CONCLUSION

Covenant unites us to each other and to God.

Covenant get us in touch with our expectations of God and God for us.

And lets close by pointing our index finger to our own heart and the other finger on our other hand towards the others around us and repeat after me: “this is my body. This is my blood. I’m giving my life to you.”

February 22, 2015

WHAT’S MY JOB IN LIFE

If I were a bird,

I’d want to be a hawk

or an eagle and have

all the other birds

scared of me.

If I were a bird,

I’d want to be

a nightingale

or any singing bird

bringing music

to  the neighborhood.

If I were a bird,

I’d want to be an owl,

being wise enough

to know all there is

to know in all the

neighborhood.

If I were a bird,

I’d want to be

a bluebird or a

cardinal or a

canary bringing

a bit of color to

someone who

sees life in only

black and white.

If I were a bird

I’d want to be

a bird who travels

thousands and

thousands of miles

knowing there is

much more to see.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

February 21, 2015

SNOW CAN BE SO SNEAKY.

SNOW CAN BE SO TRICKY.

So beautiful, so soft,

snow slowly sliding down

the air outside my window.

Snow…. So silent, so unlike

rain – which fills the air

with a  dozen different  sounds.

Snow …. so sneaky, so tricky,

black ice – piling up – along

the street. Oops. Another accident.

Lord, let me arrive as rain….

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015

February 20, 2015

RAIN

Rain,

the wash of rain,

perfect at times,

but sometimes

rain can drain

even the optimist

amongst us.

Yet it washes

sidewalks, cleans

buildings, provides

hope to the hopeless,

and tells all of us,

there is new life coming.

Hey, without water,

we wouldn’t be here.

Without water, we

wouldn’t exist. Without

water we couldn’t pray,

Without water, we wouldn’t

yell out to you our God,

“I thirst.” And you wouldn’t

have had been able to say,

“If anyone thirsts, let them

come to me!”

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2014

40  DAYS  TO  A MORE 

POWERFUL  YOU 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Friday after Ash Wednesday is, “40 days to a More Powerful You.”

When I was a kid my brother came upon a book, “Thirty days to a More Powerful Vocabulary.”

For about the next 30 days, we would see him in a real different mode.

He we would open his new word’s book every morning and start using a strange new word all day long. The word I liked the most was, “ses – qui – pe – dalion”.

It means a person who uses long words.

To break this word down from the Latin, it means “a foot and a half long”. Sesqui means “one and a half”; “ped” means “foot”.

It got us to grab the dictionary and try to stump him with a big word.

Looking back now 60 years later, the only word I remember him using  was that word, “ses – qui – pe – dalion”.

LENT

Lent is 40 days to practice some virtue or religious practice.

You know the only saying, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall: answer – practice, practice, practice.

We were taught the old Latin saying from Ovid:” Gutta cavat lapidem – non vi sed saepe  cadendo.” Drop, by drop, but not by force, the rock gets a hole in it.”

So basketball players, practice the same shot over and over and over again.

So in Lent, we practice every day something like fasting, or praying, or reading. That’s what those little books – with spiritual reading for every day of Lent is about.

So today’s first reading and gospel get at fasting.

One will lose weight from fasting of food – and if it’s well done, one becomes more disciplined.

And Isaiah 58 – today’s first reading – tells us what kind of fasting to do: being nicer to others. Not being on everyone’s case. Being more thoughtful. Less gossip. Less fighting.

Do this stuff – day by day by day – one becomes thinner in ego and unhealthy pride.

Do this stuff to be seen – one becomes fatter and   fatter with self-centeredness.

CONCLUSION

And doing all this inwardly – one notices in oneself – breakthroughs in being a more powerful spiritual person. Amen.