Tuesday, September 29, 2015

September 29, 2015


RAIN ON METAL

Rain on metal - like on the top of an
air conditioner - I like that sound - the
ping - ping - ping - of rain - letting me
know throughout the night that the soft
fall of rain is sinking silently into the soil,
into the earth - into my soul. And the alleys and the cars will be washed 
and life will go on and on and on - 
green, green, on and on - and on - 
even though it's the end of September 
and grass will soon brown and leaves 
will become rust orange, red and brown and fall to the ground - so too me - so
too slow crumble - so too winter - so too the slow knowing about resurrection and
Christ and hope and the Eternal Spring.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2015



Monday, September 28, 2015

September 28, 2015

FUNERAL LIMO DRIVER
  
Being a priest - opens up many doors -
like being in a hearse with a limo driver -
and a casket and a dead body at a
funeral - and then coming back without
the casket and the body. Definitely
different feelings to and from the cemetery ….

The driver - hey nobody notices him at a
funeral.  Lucky me I’ve heard them tell
about lots things most would never know -
little and big stuff buried inside another.

One guy said he grew up in the southwest
corner of Virginia  and there were these
mountains. He asked himself a hundred times,
“What’s on the other side of those mountains?”
He said he found out and never came back.
Then he added, “Thank God - otherwise
I would never have met my wife.”

And there was this driver who told me on
the way back from the cemetery, “You know
why they asked you to do the funeral?”
I said, “Well - no?” And he said, “Well it was
because he was a son of a b and his wife
knew you didn’t know him and everybody
else did and you’d say nice things about him.”


© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015
September 28, 2015

WHO’S THE GREATEST?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 26 Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Who’s The Greatest?”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Wow! Wasn't the pope the greatest on his trip to us. Wow did he make Catholics proud of being Catholics.

Before Pope Francis headed home to Rome, he handed out 6 copies of the gospel of Luke - which he signed - to 6 families at the Celebration of Families in Philadelphia. They also are sending thousands of copies of the Gospel of Luke to the countries where the 6 families are from - or was it just Syria?

Just one gospel. Luke.

I like the idea. We used to do that for weekend retreats. We could get small inexpensive pocket size paperback copies of the different gospels from the American Bible Society. We’d cover different stories or parables and ask the retreatants to use that gospel for meditation till they came back for their weekend retreat the following year. It worked and it was well received.

The Pope is connecting the Gospel of Luke - which is also called the Gospel of Mercy - to this upcoming year of mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It will also be Year C in our Lectionary - the year of Luke.

So here we are on weekdays - going through the Gospel of Luke as well.

And in today’s gospel, Luke 9: 46-50 -  Jesus is asking us to look at the issue of wanting to be great  - even the desire to be the greatest. We all have that desire - that instinct. All of us - more or less want to look better - feel better - than other persons.

It’s in us.

When that feeling hits us, sometimes we feel dirty - “oh-no-ish.” Paradoxically in that very feeling of not wanting to be proud - up front - holier than thou - we are being just what we want to avoid.

Jesus in the gospel of Luke talks about these feelings - Pharisaical - at their worst. Jesus rubs the parable of two people who are praying in the temple in our face. The one up front says, “Thank God I’m not like these sinners here - especially that guy in the back”. Then he brags about all he does to show he’s better than others. And the guy in the back of the temple says, “Be merciful to me because I’m a sinner.”

I always think that the first step in humility is humor.

And this stuff often shows up in religious feelings.

So Church goers need to know and laugh at themselves.

So here in today’s gospel Jesus  is telling his disciples about greatness. It’s serving. Then he takes a child and puts him right next to him and says, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Kids don’t have titles - labels - degrees - medals - stripes - robes - top hats - uniforms to prove they are on top.

SO WE SAW THE POPE

So we saw the pope in his little Fiat sandwiched on both sides - and back and front - by big SUV’s with flashing lights.

So we saw the pope embracing little children and little old ladies.

So we saw the pope embracing prisoners and down syndrome folks.

So we saw all these bishops with fancy prestige vestments and pointed hats.

You gotta have a sense of humor. I’ve seen articles with pictures of bishops hats - one taller than the other. I was looking at the bishops in the processions last night and Pope Francis’ hat - miter - was smaller than some of these other guys with their miters. The pope talked to bishops about all this in private meetings. It’s the stuff of humor and jealousy amongst us priests.



Unfortunately we saw that picture in Catholic magazines last year of a Cardinal in Rome with a big red cape trailing behind him for 10 yards - bigger than any bridal gown - with her long white veil.

This stuff - called jealousy - wanting to be bigger and better than others - prestige  - pride - shows up in church - politics - picnics - groups - clubs - volunteer groups - work - what have you.

People want better seats, different seats, higher seats - whatever is bigger and better than our seat to show that they are better than us.  

We use age, cars, home, cars, brands, clothes, jewelry, toes, toe nail polish, skin color, shape, weight, height, size, the look, to look better than the other.

You have to laugh.

PEOPLE GET MAD AT ME

People get mad at me when I hit this “greatness” button. I make comments that are digs - and the hidden agenda is that I’m better than those I’m making fun of. I do that. Jesus didn’t.

For example, when I saw all those bishops - all males - up front at the pope thing - the comedian in me - likes to say, “I’d like to see God be a woman for the next 2000 years - along with the bishops and priests - and see how the men react to that. 

I would then watch the same thing happen with women that happens with male priests.

I heard of a woman who wants to be a priest - and her reason,  “I want to be served as priests are served - have someone pick up after me.”

Smile.

We all are included in Jesus’ watching us and trying to get us to laugh at ourselves.

We are all included in Jesus watching us and wanting us to serve the little children and the older folks - especially those in their second childhood as the pope pointed out by example more than words.

CONCLUSION



I love that picture of Francis - Jorge - on a subway in Buenos Aires in Argentina by himself - carrying his bag - wearing his black suit - travelling with ordinary folks..

Some of us priests - I know I do -  make fun in our minds and sometimes with our tongues of priests and all these seminarians who are into French cuffs and clerical garb.

I know that’s the deeper sin - inner mocking - inner judgment - inner criticism - and all that stuff -  that I’m better - we’re better than them.

So Jesus laughs at me too.


Thank God there is always mercy - and thank God the call is always there to forget the nonsense and serve one another. Amen.

Sunday, September 27, 2015


WHAT  ARE  YOU  OBSERVING?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “What Are You Observing?”

Yogi Berra died last Tuesday, September 22, 2015, at the age of 90.

He’s famous for many comments - called Yogi-isms.

One is, “You can observe a lot by watching.”

As a baseball catcher - while behind the plate - he had to observe a lot - he had to watch a lot. He had to do the same while at bat - as well as later on while coaching and managing.

So he observed a lot by watching - even though what he observed came out of his mouth not that clear at times - but many times with a twist of wisdom and smart insight.

THE POPE

I’m sure all of you are watching a lot of TV when it comes to the pope.

I’m sure some of you went to see him - and you’ll be telling people that story for the rest of your life. I know I’d be doing that.

Whether on TV or in person, what did you observe about this pope?  What did you learn? What are your wonderings? What are your questions? What are you hearing? What are you hoping for?

I observed that he looks a lot like Yogi Berra - and that both have a lot of wisdom - even though Yogi only went to the 8th Grade. Both have big ears. Both are first generation Italian-Americans. Both have immigrant roots - one in North America - the other South America. Both have great smiles. Both are wise - and beyond wise.

I observed that both became shepherds. Francis of the Church. Yogi of the Yankees and Mets as manager and coach and Houston as coach.

I am not a Yankee fan. In fact I was brought up in Brooklyn and we were taught to hate the Yankees.

Hate is a no no for this pope. But the Yankees?

Yogi played for 18 seasons - 1946-63 and with him the hated Yankees reached the World Series 14 times and won 10 titles. He was MVP three times. He struck out rarely and threw out people trying to steal bases regularly.

Francis our pope is out there playing the position as pope for going on 3 years now.  He looks like a MVP and Hall of Famer to me.

We’re observing him up close and personal now - here on the east coast and quite close to us here in Annapolis.  We are observing him on TV big time.

What are we seeing?

What are we observing?

Keep talking to each other.

Keep observing to each other.

I’ve been asked 25 times in the past few days, did I see him in Washington? I’m sure various people have asked you the same question.

I said, “Nope” but on TV “Yep” - big time.

Father Charlie of our community went to DC and got within 60 yards of him at the Mass at the National Shrine. I got a chance to ask him all my questions. He’s going again today to Philly.

I think I am observe a lot more on TV and in the papers and on the computer - than I would being there in a crowd. But that’s another experience.

While in Rome in 1984 I went to see the Pope at the Wednesday audience in the Vatican circle or Piazza. A priest at our place in Rome where I was staying told me to get there 1 hour ahead of time - and he drew on a napkin where to exactly stand. I was to be at a wooden saw horse fence - on a corner - on the route the pope mobile would pass after his talk and prayers.

So there I was standing - at the right spot.  Surprise!  I look at the person right next to me. It was Bill Walton the basketball player - believe it or not.

Just as the pope mobile turned to come down our way - the crowd knocked over the wooden fence or portable saw horse fence and made a dash for the pope.

I found myself in the back of the crowd. Jesus was right. The first shall be last.

I observed and learned that day you see a lot more on TV.

Kathy at our doctor’s office said she went to see the pope in Washington D.C. years ago - along with a million other people. She couldn’t see the pope in person. There she was watching the whole thing on one of those jumbothons TV’s.

So I prefer a soft seat in front of the TV.

WHAT DID I OBSERVE ABOUT THE POPE THIS PAST WEEK?

I observed a lot.

I noticed that I have a lot of questions.

I want to know whom he consulted - whom he talked with - fellow Jesuits. Americans? Who?

I want to know how long had he worked on his English. My Spanish is horrible - and I had it for 4 years while in the seminary - along with Portuguese, Greek, and lots and lots and lots of Latin.

I want to know if he had any impact and what kind of an impact - on congress, the president, the United Nations, Cuba and our Church in the United States.

I want to know what Catholics who have dropped out are thinking?

I want to know what people are talking to each other about on the one zillion cell phones  - besides all those pictures.

I’m wondering about how many people got a hint from the Holy Spirit or their parents or grandparents that they would be welcome back at Church.

Welcome….That’s a major, major, major, major message of Pope Francis.

I loved it that our high school kids were in our auditorium watching the pope’s address to congress. I’ll find out in the coming year - if and what kind of an impact the pope had.  I’ll try to find out what kind of an impact?

This is this pope’s first visit to the United States. We are not the world. We are part of the world? We are just the East Coast - what about Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles?  What about Toronto and Paris and Moscow and Beijing?  What about Vietnam and Lagos, Nigeria?

Pope John Paul 2 made 7 visits to the United States in his 27 years as pope.

Yogi Berra said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

My observation is that this pope is very different and this visit was different and it’s not déjà vu all over again.

We’ll see.

CONCLUSION - OBSERVE

The title of my homily is, “What Are You Observing?”

What a great way to read the scriptures?

Millions of people along the routes that Francis took in his pope mobile studied his smile - waved back to him - took their pictures - especially selfies with him in the background. Many more millions observed him on TV and with Yogi Berra or Jorge Bergoglio - Francis ears - heard his messages.

What a great way to read the scriptures?

Picture yourself in the crowd for today’s readings. Picture yourself hearing his words on TV. Hear his messages.

Jesus in today’s gospel - Moses in today’s first reading  - and reiterated by  Pope Francis - celebrate the good done by anyone of good will.


Please do the same. Engage those you live and work with - church goers or not - and celebrate people of Good Will - and be sneaky and subtle, smart and as wise as Yogi Berra and this pope - invite Catholics and Christians and all back to centers of worship to make this a better world. Amen.

[The following is a story for our Children's Mass - Today - the 26 Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B]

THE  DOMINO  EFFECT 

Four old men were just sitting there in a big, big room in a nursing home.

It was around 4 PM on a Monday afternoon.  There were no football games on the big TV in the corner. There visitors were there on Sunday - so they were just sitting there remembering.

Three men were at another table playing dominoes. They were laughing and talking and enjoying the game.

Five ladies were on the other side of the room knitting and talking and adjusting their hearing aids - trying to hear each other and the guys on the other side of the room.

One of the four old men just sitting there - watching and thinking about the 3 old men playing dominoes asked, “When did you first learn about the Domino Effect?”

The other 3 men also adjusted their hearing aids and asked, “What did you just say?”

“When did you first learn about the Domino Effect?”

“Oh,” said one of the four. “I noticed it when I was 12 years old. I was at a baseball game - the Baltimore Orioles against the Boston Red Sox. Carl Yastrimski of the Red Sox hit a home run and my little brother tried to catch it, but missed. An old man in front of him - probably about 40 years old - caught it - and seeing my brother’s disappointment - gave him the ball.

“Hey, kid, here’s the ball,” he said.

“Well, my brother,” the told the other 3 old men, “didn’t see anything that happened for the rest of the game. He just stared at that baseball. He was making out he was throwing it - curve - fast ball - knuckle ball.”

“In the car on the way home, he had the greatest smile in the world. In fact, that’s the first time I ever saw him smile. He was a whiner.”

“In fact, come to think about it. I don’t think he ever whined for the rest of his life.”

“Come to think about it, that changed my life as well.”

“Thinking about the man - the fan who caught that ball - and how he gave it to my brother right away - that changed me as well. I learned to be nice to people - and I’d see how they then were nice to people and then they too were nice to people.”

“Come to think about it - looking back after all these years, I bet that guy who gave my brother the baseball -  never knew the effect of doing that had on others.”

One of the 3 old men asked, “What happened to the baseball?”

“Oh,” he said, “my brother has it in a plastic case and it was on his bookcase till he died. His son has it now - because he heard his dad tell a hundred people how some guy when he was eight years old caught that ball at old Orioles field - Memorial Stadium - and he gave it to him.”

Then he concluded, “I guess that’s when I learned about The Domino Effect.”

The second guy said I learned about the Domino Effect from our dog.  Whenever he woke up, everybody woke up.

He would bark if he heard the paperboy toss the paper up on our porch.

That would wake my mom up - who would wake my dad up - and we would hear them talking or the toilet flushing - and we would all wake up.

At work if the boss was in a good mood, I noticed everyone would be in a good mood - but if he was grouchy - others would react and be grouchy. Same too with people beeping their horns in morning traffic.

The third guy said, “Oh - I guess I noticed it when I was in school. If the teacher was in a good mood, we’d all be in a good mood. If she got mad at some kid that kid would take it out on some other kid and on and on and on.

“I guess bullies cause the most problems. Hitting - pushing - being selfish - name calling - would bounce all over the school playground.”

“Of course, I didn’t notice that till I was in the Navy - on a submarine.  If someone was in a bad mood - everyone got the after effect of  it every time.”

“But once we got a Captain - who was the happiest person I ever met in my life. When he came on board, I noticed that laughter on our submarine improved 11 thousand percent - compared to the captain we had before him.

“So I guess that’s when I really learned about the Domino Effect.”

Then he added, “I heard this when I heard it called the Butterfly Effect.”

“What’s that?” the guy on his left said.

“Oh, it’s a theory that if a butterfly shakes his wings in China - it works its way all the way to California and beyond.”

There was still one guy who had spoken up.

So they finally asked him, “When did you first hear about the Domino Effect?”

He said, “I never heard about it. At first when you guys started talking I had no idea what you were talking about.”

Then he paused.

Then he said, “Now I know why everyone is so happy with this Pope Francis. He smiles and the whole crowd smiles.”

Then he paused  - seeing the other 3 guys smiling.


Then he said, “I guess that smile is going all around the world - all night long - and into today and into forever. Wow! 
September 27, 2015


BUT

People say profound things at times -
and we say, “You’re right!” But isn’t it
better when we do life and death with
each other? “Oh yeah! You’re right.”


© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015
September 26, 2015

SUBJECT-OBJECT

Martin Buber, a Jewish spiritual leader,
called us to treat each other as subjects -
never objects. Do some deep thinking
on this? Here is a person or here is a
thing. Ooooooh! It makes a big difference.
That’s why I hate describing someone
as toxic or dysfunctional - but I keep
hearing others described as such.
Martin taught us to pause and see how
we see each other: I-Thou or I-It?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015