Wednesday, August 9, 2017

August 9, 2017

TRANSPLANTS

Heart, eyes, liver,
thoughts and words of others….
walking down the street
in someone else’s body,
in someone else’s mind.
Hopefully, we realize
we’re not in this alone;
we are all part of one another.


© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017


Tuesday, August 8, 2017

WHAT  SCULPTS  OUR  FACE? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 18th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “What Sculpts Our Face?”

WHILE DRIVING ALONG

While driving along I notice people pausing - especially at red lights -  to check out how they look in the mirror.

I wonder at times - how many times - do people stop to check out their soul - their being - their attitude - when they look in the mirror - as they are going down the roads of life?

Do they look deep into their eyes and not just the surface and surroundings of their eyes?

The eyes are the window to the soul.

How am I in there?

What’s forming my face?

What’s sculpting my face?

TODAY’S    FIRST READING

We’re hearing stories about Moses and Miriam and Aaron these days with these first readings from Numbers and earlier from Exodus. It struck  me as I read these readings, “What were the faces of Moses, Miram and Aaron like?"

We’re told that God talked to Moses face to face.  We also hear that Moses’ face glistened and shined - with a bright light.

MIRIAM

I noticed in a few commentaries on today’s first reading that the Lord was angry with Miriam and Aaron - Moses' brother and sister - for speaking out against him. They had complained, "Is it through Moses alone that the Lord speaks?" Then they added what every kid would say, "What about us?" 

Deeper motives .... They had been angry with Moses because he chose a Cushite for his wife. The Cushites were from down in Ethiopia and were a bit more black. Miriam is featured the most in today’s first reading from Numbers. Envy was eating her up. Was she envious because this wife was much younger? Was she much more beautiful than Miriam?

Bluntly the reading says that Miriam gets leprosy. In those days,  this was any serious skin deformation.  The book of Numbers says her face looked like a still born baby who was missing part of his or her skin.

QUESTIONS

Reflecting on this, I asked questions about the impact of our attitudes on our face.

So that's where I got the question, "What sculpts a face." 

One of the meanings for the name Miriam is “bitter”.

Would someone who is constantly bitter of soul become bitter of face?


How many times have we seen a face that has the ends of the mouth line - turned downwards. It’s an unhappy face. How many unhappy moments, how many inner complaints, does it take to make a face an unhappy face?

What can turn those face lines upwards at the mouth endings - so as to be wearing an authentic happy face.

People spend millions on plastic surgery for their face to look better, when spiritual surgery - will do it so much better - but free of charge - if we do inner work - working with the grace of God.

CONCLUSION

When you look in the mirror and you see an unhappy face, or when you see someone with a constant sad face, say Moses prayer at the end of today’s first reading. “Moses cried to the Lord, ‘Please, not this! Pray, heal her!” 
August 8, 2017




BELL

That’s a big bell…. I’m sure all could
hear its sound for miles and miles
around -  calling all to prayer, all to
meet, all to know -  no one is alone.

But what about bells that are retired?
Are they sort of like folks in nursing homes?
They did their job - in their time - and now
they just hang around - silent - doing nothing.

Do both old folks and old bells - just
have memories of when they felt valued
and necessary and everyone knew
they were around by their sound?



© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017


Monday, August 7, 2017

THE MASS: 
KISS -  
KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 18th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “The Mass: Kiss - Keep It Simple Stupid.”

Both readings for today hit home on one of the most basic things human beings do. We eat.

In the first reading, we have one of the most basic things people do about food. They complain. I don’t like cucumbers leeks, onions and garlic. I’d eat the melons. [Cf. Numbers 11: 4b-15.]

In the gospel, we have one of the most basic things people do. They hang around places and people who provide food. [Cf. Matthew 14: 13-21.]

Just listen to people. The food is too hot, too cold, too old, too not enough, too unappetizing.  Complain. Complain. Complain.

Just watch teenagers. When food appears, they appear. Watch dogs, they want food.

JESUS

This reality about food tells me how smart Jesus was. The Mass is a meal - and he told us to do his Last Supper in memory of him.
Just read the gospels and notice how many times Jesus is at meals. Just notice how he feeds the hungry folks. Notice how we wanted to eat with his disciples. Obviously, food - feeding people - was important to him.

THE MASS

So the Mass was a meal for starters - but when folks were eating too much and drinking too much at the community means, they moved the “meal” part to another place and/or after the Mass part. So they simplified the ceremony.
At meals we eat, we drink, we talk.

At the Mass we eat, we drink, we talk.

Once the Church numbers grew - once the crowds get larger, then the Mass changes and becomes our liturgy.

In this homily I want to stress the bare bones underside of the Mass. It’s a meal.
And at meals, we have those three ingredients - besides people: bread, wine, and words.

Jesus knew people. We need to eat. We need to share our life - and our life stories together.

I was at a family gathering yesterday. We ate. We talked. We gathered together.

FOOD MESSAGES

We know when we are in sync with each other - in communion with each other - it’s then we can eat with each other.

We know when we can’t stomach each other. We know the folks we spot and walk away from.  Women are better at knowing this than men. Who makes the lists of who sits with whom at weddings and family gatherings?

We know where there is so and so 5 feet away and we wait till they sit down and we move away as far as possible. We know whom we would like to sit next to and whom to avoid.

CONCLUSION

So when we start to complain why so and so started to break away from the Mass, they did it slowly. So too the family.


So this is basic, basic stuff - I was taught the KISS principle in public speaking. KISS: Keep it simple stupid.
August 7, 2017


BEGETS  AND  BEGOTS


A smile begets a smile.
Tears beget tears.
Happiness begets happiness.
Holding doors begets holding doors.
Just watch - at a busy door. It happens
every time. I guarantee it.
A good word begets a good word.
A sneeze begets a sneeze.
A “God bless you” begets a “Thank you.”
Clapping begets more clapping.
Laughter begets more laughter.
Noise begets a “Shush!”
Silence begets silence - sometimes.
Music begets music and sometimes foot tapping.
Beeping horns begets, “Give me a break.”
Bumps cause bumps.
A falling domino topples other dominoes.
Frustration begets frustration.
Loneliness begets phone calls.
Tension begets tension.
Locks begets knocks and bell ringing.
Ice cream begets, “Me too.”
Or as Groucho Marx put it,
“If your parents didn’t have any
children - chances are you won’t either.”


© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017












August 7, 2017



LIGHT TAKES AWAY DARKNESS

Buy good bulbs.
Light takes away darkness. 
Think good thoughts.
Light takes away darkness.

Listen with your eyes and ears.
Light takes away darkness.
Love with all your heart.
Light takes away darkness.

Sunday, August 6, 2017

August 6, 2017

TAKING  UP 
“HOW  MUCH  SPACE?” 


It’s fascinating how much space
a barb, a dig, another - can take -
in the inner room of my mind.

A comment at a coffee break can
continue cutting into my sense of
balance for the rest of my day. Ugh.

If I had storage room for every
moment of my day,  what would
I look like? How would I feel?

Home Depot? Giant? Nope. I would
love my memory to look like the dessert
glass case - up front - in a Greek Diner.


© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017