A.M.  AFTER  MASS:

COMING OUT OF CHURCH

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C - is, “A.M. After Mass: Coming out of Church.”

That’s the theme that hit me - especially after reading today’s gospel.

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells us what happened to - two people who went to the temple to pray: “I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Around 9 minutes to 10 all of us here - more or less - will walk out of church - today - head for the parking lot - to get moving again.

What happened while we were here today? How will we walk out of church this morning? Jesus in today’s gospel challenged me with that question as I prepared this homily.

A FAVORITE POEM

I write poems,  so I have some favorite poems. There is a preacher’s poem that grabs me, but it might not grab you - then again it might. It’s entitled, “In Church”, by Thomas Hardy.

IN CHURCH

“And now to God the Father,” he ends

And his voice thrills up to the topmost tiles
Each listener pervades the crowded aisles.

Then the preacher glides to the vestry-door,

And shuts it, and thinks he is seen no more.

The door swings softly ajar meanwhile,

And a pupil of his in the Bible class,

Who adores him as one without gloss or guile,

Sees her idol stand with a satisfied smile

And re-enact at the vestry-glass

Each pulpit gesture in deft dumb-show

That had moved the congregation so.

Woooooo! Interesting poem. I can picture the scene. Good poetry.

The preacher - as Thomas Hardy the poet - pictures him - is filled with himself - after he preached. He thinks he’s all alone.

That’s one of those questions: “Who are we when we are all alone?”

We priests - sometimes when we catch ourselves - on Sunday - say to each other, “How did your homily go?”

And we say things like, “Eeeh, I don’t know. I hope okay.”

Obviously, today’s gospel is telling us - where the action should be. It’s inside the temple of each person’s skull. In here. [Point to skull.]

Jesus knew the temple - the big temple in Jerusalem - as well as the local synagogues. Jesus knew that devote Jews would go to the temple at least 2 times per day to pray.

But Jesus went deeper - obviously - and began to talk about the inner temple - the inner room  - to go there in secret 2 times a day or whenever.

Jesus said to go to a place of prayer within - where only 2  are present - myself and God - not to be seen - but to be within - within God.

He saw too much posturing - too many Pharisees - like the Pharisee in today’s gospel - who went to the temple to pray - to themselves - to praise themselves.

He saw and heard too many people say the worst prayer a person can say: ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity.” Then he brags to himself about how good he is and how bad everyone else is.

What’s going on inside our mind today? Each time we come into the presence of God, is God present?  Are we looking in a mirror and only seeing ourselves?  Or are we in the real presence of God.

A test to run: What happens when we come into the presence of God?

If at first we feel small - sinful - less - not enough - that’s a good sign.

It’s like what happened to Peter when he first met Jesus. [Cf. Luke 5: 1-11.]

Jesus a carpenter tells Peter a fisherman how to fish - and where to fish.

At first Peter says, “Look, we just fished the whole night long - and caught nothing.”

Then Peter must have looked Jesus in the eye and realized, Jesus didn’t buy that. Jesus says, “Let’s go fishing. Launch out into the deep and lower your nets for a catch.”

And Peter does and his nets are filled to the breaking point and they call to another boat and they fill both boats to the full.

And Peter - experiencing greatness -  falls down in the presence of Jesus and says, “Get away from me - for I am a sinful man.”

Notice what happened there.

Jesus is just someone out there - like the way we all treat most people who are around us - on the planet.

For many of us - Jesus is just someone - God - just out there - not in here.

When we realize the greatness of Jesus - our God - we will feel smallness - sinfulness - at first.

The second step is the fullness of grace - gift - the lifting up of us as a human being towards greatness.

Jesus does not want to keep us - to see us - for us to see ourselves - empty - with empty boat or empty net.

It’s like when we think we know it all - and we walk into a library.

Notice the first guy in today’s gospel. He comes to the temple - filled with himself. Notice how today’s gospel begins: “Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.”

Notice the second guy in today’s gospel and how Jesus describes his thinking, “But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’”

And notice how Jesus ends his parable, his example, his story, “I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

SUMMING UP

The title of my homily is, “A.M. After Mass: Coming out of Church.”

We come to church not to feel good about ourselves for starters - but to be better selves for endings.

We come to church to be challenged - and then to change.

Have we ever heard something that Jesus said that made us want to kill him - to put him on a cross and shut him up.

Today’s gospel can do just that.

If we come here to church to complain inwardly about others - to put others down - to humiliate others - so we can feel better about ourselves - then we’re in the wrong place within.

Let’s be honest, in the grand manipulation of politics, negative ads work.

Let’s be honest, in the grand manipulation of religion, negative thinking can abound - liberals vs. conservatives, church goers vs. non church goers, non-church goers vs. church goers - thinking how narrow minded they are - by going to church.

In that second reading for today,  we heard about runners. How many times do runners see people running to church and think they are better - exercising - feeling the fresh air - compared to sitting on their butts in a church hearing hot air - and vice versa.

I don’t have a cell phone - only when I’m on duty - and at times I think cell phones are crazy - that people can catch people at any time and any meal - and those with cell phones think non-cell phone users are Luddites - stuck in another century - out of touch - behind the times.

Besides all those zillions of cell phone conversations flying through the air - all the time - and zillions of e-mails and twitter and texted comments - hacked and not hacked - besides all that - there are those inner comparisons and conversations we all have - fat vs. thin, pants suits vs. whatever, tattoos vs. non tattoos, democrats vs. republicans vs. independents, young vs. old, and hundreds more comparisons. They are filling our world, our temples, and our minds.

Isn’t that one more reason we need to come to church to turn it all off. Isn’t that why we need to fix up our inner room, our inner temple, and drop in there at least 2 times a day to be  with God and God with us - to be in communion, holy communion, communication, calmness with God - and then to walk out of there and be in better communion, holy communion, communication calmness with ourselves and the people in our family - the folks at work - with neighbors - and friends?

The first step in any relationship with God or anyone else is to pause and realize that down deep I am blank, ignorant, and dumb when it comes to really knowing another. It means to have the humility to admit in all honesty: “I don’t know you. Therefore, I can’t compare myself to you.”

That’s the first step in any relationship with God and anyone else. The tax collector in  today’s gospel stays back - stays in the shadows. He knows he  doesn’t know God nor himself. He knows he’s an empty suit - a failure - when it comes to God and others. He knows he taxes them.

The second step is being justified - redeemed - rightened a bit - leaving church - and going home better than when we came into church today - because we’ve gone fishing a bit with Jesus - and he has given us some fresh fish - some new insights -  to swim with.

CONCLUSION

Hence the title of my homily for today: “A.M. After Mass: Coming out of Church.”

October 23, 2016

PRAYER

If we were God

and so and so

was praying to us,

or telling us, or yelling at us,

would we just yell back, 

“Shut up!”

Or would we do 

what God does: 

simply listen, listen,

till we hear what’s really

going on - going on and on

and on inside us?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016
Photo: Haunting  Sculpture - Women
in Prayer, Centre Pompidou Malaga

October 22, 2016

METAL  DOOR

A big metal door,

bronze, brown, thick,

with grey granite steps

leading up to that door.

Pause…. hesitation …. "Uh oh!"

Is it locked.

Do I knock?

Do I wait?

Is there anyone

at a small desk -

just sitting there -

just inside waiting

for that door to open?

Life - too many times -

there’s a big metal door -

between the two of us,

husband ///// wife,

mother ///// daughter,

father ///// son,

neighbor ///// neighbor,

God ///// me.

"Knock ...."

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016
Cathedral Door and Steps
in Lund, Sweden

October 21, 2016

DRIVERS LICENSE

It’s the diploma….
It’s the passport ….

It’s the key to freedom ….
to the open road -

to distance oneself

from growing up -

to get away from family -

to get out of here

for a few years -

and then there is

the open road?

Who knows what is

the real drivers license

to what’s after that?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

UNITED  NATIONS 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 29^th Friday in Ordinary Time is, “United Nations.”

I listened to all 3 Presidential Debates - as well as some of the primary debates - and I don’t remember hearing anyone say anything about the United Nations.  In fact, it seems to me, that it’s rarely mentioned - except for criticism. At least that’s my unsure analysis.

71 years ago it was the dream of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill (He got the idea in the bathtub) - to pull together the nations - to work for peace and harmony and unity. The earlier League of Nations from World War I time had failed - but lasted from 1919-20 till 1946-47.

THE TOPIC

I choose the topic of the United Nations of today’s first reading. Every time I hear it brings back a memory of the United Nations. This was something that happened to me when I was younger, much younger, I  decided on my own to visit the United Nations on a Saturday. The place was closed.

I turned around and saw the big wall with the words of Isaiah 2:4 carved into the stone: “These will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nations will not lift sword against nation, there will be training for war no more.”

Now that’s a text to throw into the Second Amendment debate discussions.

Then I saw a United Nations chapel across the street. I walked over. It was open.  I walked in and sat down and prayed for peace in the world.

As I sat there I saw that there was an Bible - I assumed it was a Bible  - laying open - all alone on the altar.  Being nosey - or intrigued -  I walked up front - climbed over the rope fence - and found today’s first reading from Ephesians. I didn’t look around to see if there were any search video cameras.

I stood there reading Ephesians 4:1-6 in the open book on the altar. Of all the texts in the Bible to pick for a chapel called, “The United Nations Chapel” this was a great choice.

Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace; one Body an one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Once more: that was a great choice for a United Nations message -  the call for all of us to work for unity.

A MESSAGE

My message for this morning would be: “Don’t po  po the United Nations.”

As already stated, the United Nations is rarely mentioned. It’s ignored. And when mentioned it’s often ridiculed.

Two comments:

First of all, if you don’t do any homework or study or finding out about the UN, listen to the issues the United Nations challenges us to work for: law and justice, drug trafficking and children trafficking.  It gets into human rights, peace keeping, feeding the hungry, financial stability, climate control, arms proliferation, drinking water, family, wages, to name a few.

Secondly, when people criticize the UN, simply ask, what have you read up about the UN? What do you know about it? What are its strengths? What are its weaknesses?  Maybe the person asked is University Political Science teacher or maybe they are someone who doesn’t have a clue about what they are talking about.

Pope Francis on September of 2015, Benedict in 2008, John Paul 2, in 1979 and 1995, and Paul 6^th in 1965, spoke at the UN. What did they say? Have you read their comments? Would you still say what you’re saying about the United Nations after considering what they said at the UN?

CONCLUSION

Work for unity today. Pray for the UN today.

October 20, 2016

SLIGHTLY

As in a curtain waltzing,

or green grass shaking

on my small green lawn,

or a new born horse

getting her legs - standing,

or a tire wearing - hitting

29,333 miles on the road,

so I age ever so slightly,

so I know You God each

day slightly more and more.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

TWO  WORDS: 

INSIGHT  AND  INSCRUTABLE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 29^th Wednesday in Ordinary time is, “Two Words: Insight and Inscrutable.”

I noticed both these words in the English translation for today’s first reading from the Letter to the Ephesians.

Insight as in “my insight into the mystery of Christ….”

Inscrutable as in “the inscrutable riches of Christ….”

IT’S GREEK TO ME

I often notice in books about preaching, “Don’t quote Greek words in the pulpit.” Then they give the reason: “It turns people off” or “They have no clue what you are talking about.”  or “It’s Greek to me.”

Yet the New Testament is written in Greek. We’re dealing with translations from the pulpit in the readings at Mass. So the Greek is very important. We have gone beyond the days when people thought the Bible was written in King James English.

Moreover, when I read the English translation - like that of today’s first reading from Ephesians - I get a thought - and say, “Wow that’s a good idea to think about.” That’s what happened when the two words - insight and inscrutable jumped up out of the text for me today.  

It’s then that I hear a challenge: “Check out the Greek.”

Then I say to myself, “Will what I found out help those I’m talking to today?”

Then I sometimes say, “Give it a try. If it’s boring, it’s only a 2 page homily.” [Show 2 pieces of paper.]

SO HERE GOES WITH SOME TRANSLATION COMMENTS

I couldn’t find the word “insight” in other translations.

Insight means seeing within. Seeing within. An insight is seeing what’s inside. 

The Greek word is “sunesin” - which can be translated, “insight” or  my “perception”, my “understanding”, my “putting two and two together”, or “figuring”, “considering”.

The refrigerator door is closed and it’s dark and cold in there. When we open up the door, the light goes on and we see some of the things that are within the refrigerator.

And what does Paul get in insight into: Christ.

On the road to Damascus he was blinded - and as a result he was in the dark - and in the dark he saw a new light: Christ.

As they say in AA and other 12 programs, “Sometimes you have to hit bottom to rise.”  “Sometimes you have to bottom out - to get out from where you are under or within.”

So Paul got the insight to see who Christ is - the one he was persecuting.

The next word is “inscrutable”.  I don’t ever remember using that word - but it’s a good word. In Greek the word is “anexichniaston”.  It means “inscrutable” or “unsearchable”, “without a footprint”, “something that we can’t trace”.

Paul is saying that Christ is all gift.

Today’s gospel talks about a thief breaking into a house.

We can say to Jesus, break into my house. Break through my walls. Enter into me and don’t let me wait. Surprise me now. Today, open up this cold refridgerator called “me” and put the light on - and let me see your presence within me.

And I will serve you.

And I will stop beating others - being rough on others. I will serve them instead.  They deserve my service

CONCLUSION -

Surprise. Jesus will sit us down and serve us the best of bread the best of wine. Surprise! Isn’t that why we’re here at Mass? We’ve had that insight years ago and have been taking advantage of being within Christ the inscrutable insight ever since.