TASTE

READING  HEBREWS 2:9b-11

We  see  Jesus crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, that through God's gracious will he might taste death for the sake of all men. Indeed, it was fitting that when bringing many sons to glory God, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make their leader in the work of salvation perfect through ­suffering.

REFLECTION

The word from this short reading from Hebrews that hit me was the word, “Taste.”

Taste ----   T   A   S   T   E ---- Taste.

We just heard  from this New Testament reading called “Hebrews” that Jesus tasted death for the sake of all.

People who have tasted death - know the taste. People who have tasted death often change.

Today is Holy Thursday…. Tonight we celebrate the Passover Meal - that meal that Jesus celebrated on the night before he died. It was his Last Supper.

It was to be the Meal we Christians have celebrated millions and millions and millions of times ever since in memory of him.

It’s called “The Mass”. The Mass is the Passover Meal. 

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

That night Jesus tasted bread. He took it - broke it - and passed  the broken bread out to his disciples saying, “Taste, take and eat - this is my body.”

That night Jesus  tasted wine. He took it and passed it out to his disciples saying, “Taste, take  and drink - this is my blood.”

Do this in memory of me.

That night Jesus tasted not just the future - but he also tasted the past. Jesus was tasting memories. Jesus tasted the Pascal Lamb, the bitter herbs, the bread, the wine.

Jesus tasted history in the Passover Meal which his people had celebrated for centuries - in memory of  the story -  of their redemption, their salvation, in becoming a people.

Jesus tasted the story of his people eating unleavened bread in Egypt - they were in a rush - and then rushed to freedom from slavery that night different from all other nights. It was their baptism - going through the waters of their baptism - into freedom. 

That night Jesus also tasted the future. Jesus tasted fears about his apostles, his key followers - who would he called to do so much in memory of him. He could taste and hear Peter’s denials. He could taste and fear Judas’ betrayal. He could taste the tears in his eyes that these men would run from him tonight in the Garden.

This Holy Thursday taste the past and taste the future.

Taste and chew on what Jesus was about: serving - washing feet - going the extra mile - stopping on roads to feel who is tugging at the edge of our sleeve - to hear who wants our time our skills and our love.

Taste Jesus’ total Holy Communion with his Father when he could escape to be in prayer with his Father for at least an hour in the mountains - or a garden -  in the night - in his inner room in secret.

Taste Jesus total Holy Communion with those who screamed out for him for healing.

Taste interruptions.

Life is often about interruptions.

They cross us up every time.

Sometimes we have to eat quickly - do what we have to do quickly - even if what we do is unleavened - not finished enough - not good enough - and we feel like broken bread and quickly sipped wine.

It’s life 101.

Holy Thursday is here. It passes over us over and over again - year after year - after year.

We get a good taste of it today - and every day we are at Mass - and every time we wash feet -  and every time get out onto the street for another day of life.

This reflection was just a taste of one word - “TASTE” -  from one small section of the New Testament document called “Hebrews”.  It gives us a tiny taste of what the whole book is about - the Mass - the Eucharist - the mystery and history of Passover Meal.

This reflection for Holy Thursday gave us a taste of some of things Jesus was feeling that day - that Holy Week - that Horrible Week.

Jesus is telling us expect betrayals and denials - expect people who can’t stay with us for an hour - expect night - expect rejections and not being understood at times - expect the cross.

But above all expect Resurrection.

Expect Easter - expect forgiveness - expect full nets - with fresh catches of fish. Expect new mornings with the taste of breakfast with Jesus on our breath. Amen.

March 23, 2016

BACKSTAGE

It’s not all backstage, in fact, when

it’s a great play, we are not thinking

about what’s going on backstage.

We’re seeing only what’s up front -

the story, “the play’s the thing” that

catches “the conscience of the king”. [1]

But backtrack a bit - and know it is

backstage - the background of the

Shakespeare who wrote the play -

and where he got his ideas from -

and what his “why” is all about. Why?
Motive? Message? Meaning? Methods?

So yes, appearances matter. But ….

“All the  world’s a stage, All the men 
and women merely players.” [2] 

What really matters is the reality behind 
the costumes and the lines - the story 
behind the story and what happened 
to get someone to create the play 
and the actors and actresses to become
players and make their appearances....

But most of all, we need to sit there and
watch what what happens to Everyman [3]
and Everywoman after the play - after the
bows, after the curtain closes - after all, audience and actors - go through the
seven stages of life backstage - back home.

                                                    © Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

NOTES

[1] Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act  II, ii, 641

 [2] Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II, vii, 139

[3] Everyman, a Middle English, Tudor Period, play - in which God the Father sends Death to summon every creature to give an account of his or her life. Check Google under "Everyman" and you'll find out more about this morality play by an unknown author. Here is one comment from Wikipedia: "The cultural setting is based on the Roman Catholicism of the era. Everyman attains afterlife in heaven by means of good works and the Catholic Sacraments, in particular Confession, Penance, Unction, Viaticum and receiving the Eucharist."

Everyman (play) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyman_(play)

Wikipedia

March 22, 2016

GOOD WILL

Lord, as you enter my store, please realize 

I’m not an expensive 5^th Avenue high end store.

I’m used goods - marked down - on sale.

I’ve been around and around and around -

recycled - but please have the good will to find

some stuff in me you like and you’ll buy. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

SORRY, I'M NOT

A POLISHED ARROW

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily and my thoughts for this Tuesday in Holy Week is, “Sorry I’m Not a Polished Arrow.”

TODAY’S FIRST READING - ISAIAH 49:1-6

Isaiah here in today’s first reading is reflecting on his life  - how the Lord called him from birth - “from his mother’s womb he gave me my name.”

Isaiah continues, “He made of me a sharp-edged sword …. He made me a polished arrow.”

Those two images  got me thinking.  I have been preaching on these readings for over 50 years of daily Masses - so I find myself thinking, “Think about what you’ve missed and not preached on.”

A weekday homily is only 2 pages at the most for me - so that gives me the freedom to think out loud and not worry if I’m confusing and not too clear - or  if I give a head scratcher or a dud. Been there…. Done that….

SORRY, LORD, I’M NOT A POLISHED ARROW

Yeah, it would neat to be a straight arrow. It would be neat to be a polished arrow - the type one might see behind glass in a museum - in perfect shape.

Yes, it would be nice to be a sharp edged sword - to be as definite as a sword - speaking with sharp edged - well cut out clear thoughts, sentences and paragraphs.

But looking at my life - like Isaiah looked at his life - I see myself not as a polished arrow - but rather as an old screw driver with a chipped tooth - like an Appalachian guy on a porch in the woods - a screw driver with three or four of five spots of paint on the its pockmarked wooden handle - because it was used to open paint cans - and the top is pitted and dented because it was also used to chip out crud and rust from a pipes - a hammer hitting this old screwdriver right on its head.

Polished arrow - not me. Sharp edged sword - not me either.  No I’m more like a rusty nail - that failed to do its job - or a black plastic garbage bag that broke.

Sorry Lord….

TODAY’S GOSPEL - JOHN 13: 21-33, 36-38

Am I being too harsh on myself?

Nope - but I’m not Judas in today’s gospel - stealing from the collection - and betraying Jesus.

But I sit there at many a meal with others and my mind is elsewhere. Not the devil entering into me - like Judas - but maybe at times. Hope not.  But distractions  - yes - big time. So too at this meal called the Mass.

I’m like the disciples at that Last Supper. I’ve been going to daily Mass almost 67 years or more and I still don’t get what I’m doing at times. Father forgive me because many times I don’t know what I’m doing.

Sorry, I’m no polished arrow.  Sorry I’m not silver sharp sword.

CONCLUSION

So Lord, this is me and I make this act of faith more in your forgiveness and understanding and your laughter with and at me than in the Trinity or Resurrection.

Sorry that’s how I’m taking your word - more and more. Maybe these are the kind of thoughts one has after they in their 70’s - the kind of ponderings Pope Francis has - not super intellectual - but simply, simple thoughts of compassion - mercy - and forgiveness - and understanding. Amen.

DIFFERENT  TIME  ZONES 

Time differs…. You know that, right?

Like when traffic is stuck - really backed

up - and you have no deadline and you’re

listening to a great game on your car radio.

Like when you’re starving and the Fast

Food Hamburger crew have their backs

to you and are laughing and you’re the

only one on line in this fast food restaurant.

Like when you decide to pray and you’re

sitting there in church for three minutes and

and it feels like a big long 60 minute hour.

Like the opposite - like a moment at a wedding
or a funeral - or at the beach or a game - or
time with God and with the kids - and we
peak through the blinds and the sun is rising
and forever - forever is but a moment.

Like when you’re lonely or like when

you are with the one and ones you love.

Everyone knows all this…. Right.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

A SMOLDERING WICK

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Monday in Holy Week  is, “A Smoldering Wick.”

I noticed that image in today’s first reading from Isaiah 42:1-7. 

In the past I’ve enjoyed preaching about Mary in today’s gospel anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume oil and then drying his feet with her hair. [Cf. John 12: 1-11]

That’s a powerful scene, powerful image, and can be a powerful metaphor. We’ve all walked into an elevator - and wow someone with powerful perfume must have been on this elevator!

I haven’t thought about the smoldering wick image and possible metaphor from today’s first reading, so let me take a look at that today.

CHURCH CANDLES

Those of you who have a fire place in your home - and you use it - know about smoldering wood or coals if you use a charcoal fire place for cooking steaks, hotdogs or hamburgers in warmer weather.

We didn’t have a fireplace or a charcoal stove, so let me use the image of a candle.

Hang around Churches one would get the image of the smoldering wick.

I used to be a candle boy in our church as a kid. We got paid $2.50 a week. I jokingly say, “Don’t work for the Church. They don’t pay well.” But for a kid in the early 1950’s, $2.50 was great.

We’d have to keep our eyes on the candles. As soon as the fire went out, as soon as the candle burnt out, then we’d replace the little red cup with a brand new candle.

Being an altar boy, then a seminarian, then a priest, I would know about altar candles. Sometimes it looks like the candle is dead, cold, out - but surprise there is  a tiny glow - a tiny spark, sometimes in the candle. There would be plenty wax in the candle, but it was going out or just sleeping or smoldering.

If one wants that candle to continue, one blows on it. We use wax and oil candles here at St. John Neumann and St. Mary’s.

So sometimes we need to get a new wick. Sometimes we need to get more oil. Sometimes we need to replace the candle. Sometimes we need to replace the candle.  It all depends.

MESSAGE FROM ISAIAH

The metaphor is clear - but what is the message.

Isaiah is saying that we are God’s chosen servants.

Isaiah is saying that God’s Spirit, Breath, Wind, Air, is surrounding us - let God go, “Phew. Phew - Breathe, Breathe on us.”

We’re called to be light to others.

We’re called to bring justice, fairness,  into our daily situations.

We’re called to open the eyes of those who are blind. When we are in the dark, people don’t know what they are doing. We are to be night lights for others.

CONCLUSION: A BRIEF EXERCISE

Here’s a possible spiritual exercise for today. 

Find yourself sitting in a quiet place. 

Close your eyes. 

Picture yourself as a candle. 

The wick is barely lit. It’s smoldering. 

Next say and pray to God, “Come Holy Spirit” or “God breathe into me, onto me, puff, push air at me, and let me come back to life again - come back to fire again - light again - so that I might burn brightly for your greater glory. Amen." 

March 20, 2016

HANDS! 

PALMS UP

Hands - great when some one waves to us -

palms up! Great too - when someone claps

or waves palms for us.

Hands - not good when someone tightens 

their fist - because they are angry or scared - 

at us - or they give us a nasty gesture or a

thumbs down or signal, “Stay away!”

Hands - up close - cold - dead -

in a casket - in a funeral parlor -

with a rosary in hand  - and we kneel there

and say a prayer for the person who has died

and forgive or ask forgiveness for
all the times we didn't give each other
a hand or shake hands or wave 
or clap hands for each other.

Hands - with palms in hand - waved

to Jesus on that first Palm Sunday -

but by Friday some of those same hands

are gesturing - "Thumbs down!" and

screaming, “Crucify him!” “Crucify him!”

Hands - and Jesus’ hands are nailed

to the cross that Friday afternoon -

and the world becomes dark and

the veil in the temple is ripped in two

and Judas on another tree kills himself

by his own hand.

Hands - those hands - those palms

of Jesus - will open again - and again - and
again in resurrection and be shown at Easter 
to Thomas and to us - to challenge us to look

at Jesus wounds and cuts and have faith

that Christ the Lord has risen from the dead.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

    

© Andy Costello  Reflections  2016