THRESHOLDS

INTRODUCTION

Happy Easter.

The title of my homily is, “Thresholds.”

I was wondering where to go with a homily for today – Easter Sunday. What do you need for your soul, for your spirituality, for your life?  Lent is over. It was 40 days of borrowed time – time lent to us – for our spiritual life and growth. Now, what’s now, what’s next?  If Lent is a quieting down – a withdrawing – a stepping back, experiencing the so called “Desert Experience”, what is the next?

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Notice the gospel for today begins with Mary of Magdala going out – heading for the disaster – coming to the tomb – the place of broken dreams – the grave of nightmares. Notice the tomb is empty. She runs away from crossing the threshold of that tomb. She runs back to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved. She tells them that “They have taken the Lord from the tomb.”

Today’s gospel then tells us that Peter and the Beloved disciple run to the tomb. The Beloved Disciple gets there first – but doesn’t cross the threshold into the tomb. He lets Peter cross that threshold first.

Peter enters into the tomb.  He sees everything – the cloths – but no body. Then the beloved disciple crosses the threshold of the tomb. He goes in and is the first to believe. He’s the first to cross that threshold of faith, that belief in resurrection – because of Christ.

THE KID IN THE DOLLHOUSE

Bernard Basset, a Jesuit retreat master, in a talk once told about a personal experience from earlier on in his life. He was visiting a home for kids who had severe relationship problems.

The head of the institute invited Bernard into a tiny room that had a two way mirror – through which you could observe how the kids reacted and interacted with each other in a big room on the other side of that mirror.

Here’s how I remembered the story.

They give this kid lots of therapy.  They put him in a big doll house that is in that big room on the other side of the mirror.  There are some toys in there. The kid starts playing with the toys.

Then a door at the further end of that room opens up and a whole group of about 15 other kids come in and head for the toys just inside the door they just came in.

The kid in the small play house stands up and looks out the window of the tiny house he’s in - towards all these other kids in play. The director of the institute then says to Bernard – in the observing room with the two way mirror, “If the kid opens up the door of his little house – steps out into the big room – and heads towards all the other kids and starts playing games and interacting  with them he’s going to make it.”

He opens the door – crosses the threshold and walks down to where the others are – and starts playing with them.

EASTER

If you listen carefully to the Post-Easter readings for the next month or so, you’ll hear about the disciples in the locked upper room. They are afraid – very much afraid – and they finally break out of that locked room – filled with the Holy Spirit of Jesus – and go out into our world – interact with it – and change it.

THRESHOLDS

I always liked that story – because it’s a life and death story.

I’ve heard of hundreds of people who climbed out of a bottle – and crossed the threshold of AA meetings – like the Red House up the street – took that step – did the steps – kept doing the steps and they were healed. Some fall again – crawl back into a bottle – looking for God – comfort – solution – salvation at the bottom of a bottle as they say – and wake up and walk out and back over the threshold of an AA meeting again – and they are healed once again.

Life is crossing thousands and thousands of thresholds – some into life, some into death; some into heaven, some into hell?

At many a cemetery, some see the tomb and death and the without, some look up to the sky and see eternal life and the next step in life – starting again.

Life is giving up at times. We could have been dissed, fired, dumped, hurt or it could be the experience of another death. Life is running away from the tomb – and running towards resurrection here and hereafter.

We had a boy on our block when we were kids – and he was different – and we boys called him put down words. We didn’t know about being homosexual or even what that word meant back then – or what our comments and behavior meant to him.

Years later – and far away from him – I heard he came out of the so called closet. He crossed that narrow threshold – and discovered life. We are seeing in our lifetime people slowly coming out of those rooms of ridicule and hurting others – rising from being dead in prejudice. That stone has been rolled away – big time in the last few years.

Easter is a good time to be like Mary and go to the tombs within us – where we put the dead Christ – and surprise – to discover they are empty. Christ does not stay in death.

Christ is alive – and he wants to be alive in us. Easter us, O Christ,  Easter us.

CARTOON

Two weeks ago I received one of those e-mails that go all around the world in minutes. I’m sure you got it at some point – and you were told to e-mail to five people – you know – otherwise your toe nails will fall off.

It showed twins talking to themselves in their mommy’s tummy – and one says that he hears music or something out there. The other says, “No this is all there is – and I’m staying put.” Then he adds that he loves this life as is. One can see eating with his or her mouth – we have a cord.  One doesn’t believe in a mother. Never saw one. The other does.

LAST NIGHT

Last night at St. John Neumann we saw 30 or so folks coming alive with baptism and confirmation in the Catholic Church. Then Father Harrison – who works with Deacon Leroy Moore – and a good group of parishioners – as a team said to them, “It’s now your turn  to go out of this church and bring Christ to our world – your family, your neighbors, where you work, and where you go.

He didn’t use the word threshold – but that’s what they were told to do – to cross thresholds like hundreds of thousands of new Catholics were told to do all around the world.

CONCLUSION

That’s my homily. Life is risks. Life is opening lots of doors. Live is seeing there is resurrection and new life – all our lives.

Like the little kid in my first story, we’ll make it – if we realize we can’t do this alone, but it would be better to do this with each other. That’s the beginning of our resurrection – here and hereafter. Amen

April 5, 2015 - Easter Sunday

SEEING SPRING

Some see Spring 

before the others. 

A blade of green grass…. 

A bursting yellow green bud …. 

A bird or two with morning music…. 

A flower opens up  near a tombstone…. 

Death is not forever….

Some see Spring

before the others.

Some see Resurrection

before the others.

A smile replaces a tear

on a widowed face….

Christ says, “Mary” or “John”

and we know the Risen Christ

and won’t let go of our crushing arms….

Some see Resurrection

before the others.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

April 4, 2015

FORGIVENESS

Hit, hurt, by rocks,

by saliva spit words,

thrown at me,

by those who don’t know  -

they too are hurting.

Do I forgive them?
Can I forgive them?

Do I reach out

with open arms

and nailed down hands?

Do I turn the other cheek?

Do I take another chance

on forgiving this person?

Do I give a sign of peace,

knowing they can hurt me again?

Confession….

This is my confession….

This is my putting the hurt into words….

This is being Christ

on the cross … in pain …

saying, “Father forgive them

because they don’t know

what they are doing.

But I know or do I?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

PERSONAL  STATIONS 

OF  THE  CROSS 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Good Friday is, “Personal Stations of the Cross.”

I wonder how many people noticed on page 118 in the missalette the following comment: “After the reading of the Passion, there may be a brief homily. Following the homily, the faithful may be invited to spend a brief period in prayer.”

A similar message in the Missalette about being brief appeared last Sunday – Palm Sunday – and I think my homily was 8 minutes.

I assume the key word is “brief”. I assume there is so much to meditate and reflect upon this Holy Week – and we need space and time – to deeply reflect upon the key ingredients and themes of Holy Week.

I have often asked people: “What are your key moments of Holy Week?”

[PAUSE] What are yours? 

On Holy Thursday, in a brief morning homily, I mentioned that a lady told me her key moment is Holy Thursday night’s washing of the feet.

Another person told me that Holy Saturday night’s liturgy is long, at least 2 hours long, but he loves the moment when people come into the Catholic Church after making the long R.C.I.A. program.

So what is your favorite – or most moving moment - of Holy Week?

FOR SOME,  IT’S GOOD FRIDAY’S STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Last Sunday after Mass, a young  couple I had married at St. Mary’s a few years ago, told me they were going to be in Rome to celebrate Holy Week. The guy told me that his favorite moment will be praying the Stations of the Cross with Pope Francis in the Coliseum. He said he lived in Italy for a while and  he went to that ceremony in Rome every Good Friday.

That triggered this homily and these thoughts.

WHEN VISITING CHURCHES - VISIT THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Some people when they travel, like to stop into Catholic Churches and check them out.  I see lots of folks visiting St. Mary’s in downtown Annapolis.

Suggestion: check out the stations of the cross in every Catholic church you visit. Check out the variety and the art. Make them – slowly or quickly – a moment of prayer. Let your kids see you do that on vacation or here in St. Mary’s Parish.  What are your falls? What are your crosses – or your main cross?  Where do you feel nailed down? What are your deaths? When have you been falsely accused of something? Who’s there to help you?

Or as someone – somewhere along line -  once told me: discover  your key station of the cross – the one that says the most to you. Then in every church you visit  - go to just that station.  The lady who told me this said she sits there at the 4^th station only: Jesus Meets His Sorrowful Mother.

I’ve noticed in various churches a set of stations that have a hidden face in every one of the 14 stations. Check out the ones here in St. John Neumann Church.

VISIT GOOGLE AND TYPE IN “STATIONS OF THE CROSS.”

If you check out  Stations of the Cross on Google, you'll find out that they have a long history. The comment you’ll notice the most is this: it’s a substitute for going to the Holy Land to visit the places on the  way to the cross. The Stations go from where Jesus is condemned by Pontius Pilate till he dies on the cross and is buried.

You’ll also find out from Google that St. Francis of Assisi and then the Franciscans get a lot of credit from medieval times and onwards for promoting this spiritual practice.

You’ll also find out,  that there were various methods and numbers of Stations before that time – as well as in modern times. You’ll find out some stations are biblical and some aren’t. How many times Jesus fell, we don’t know.  That he fell probably – but we don’t know for sure.  It’s not in the Bible. That Simon of Cyrene was forced into helping Jesus. That’s in the Bible. That a woman named Veronica wiped the face of Jesus “No.”  That there were women along the way to Calvary weeping and crying, yes – that’s in the Bible.

Just as there are many different types of art work - for  the Stations of the Cross - hanging in our churches, so too there are many different booklets written by all kinds of people – giving prayers and reflections – for the Stations of the Cross. Pope John Paul 2 has one. I’m sure Pope Francis will have one.

We Redemptorists are very aware that the most popular booklet for the stations of the cross was done by our founder St. Alphonsus de Liguori.

A priest who left the priesthood – Richard Furey - who was stationed here at St. Mary’s Parish wrote a popular stations of the cross back in 1984. It still sells. It’s entitled, “Mary’s Way of the Cross”. I noticed on line that it’s listed for $1.95. I also noticed in small print, “Used .69 cents. New .36 cents.” Interesting…. Why I know about that Stations of the Cross is that when Rick wrote it, he sent it to me for suggestions. I thought it needed an Introduction so I wrote a  brief first draft introduction  in about a  half hour or so and suggested he write an introduction like this himself.  Years later someone said they saw my name on a stations of the cross. I said I had written one, but it never got  published – like a lot of my stuff. So I wondered how it had gotten out. Surprise it wasn’t mine – but  Rick Furey's – with my name as doing the Introduction

THIRD AND LAST SUGGESTION

Third and last suggestion: jot down or come up with your own stations of the cross.

Down through the centuries various folks made the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ personal to their town or their lives. Every 10 years they do the Passion Play in that place in Germany that nobody knows how to pronounce. At least I don’t.

I noticed on Google working on this homily today that in Jersey City, New Jersey, a half dozen or so Christian Churches are marching through their streets and are making the stations of the cross at 14 different places. They are places where there was violence, a shooting, or what have you. In each place the cross the crowd is moving along with a big wooden cross.  At each spot mention is made what happened here. Then a big nail is banged into the wood. Hopefully Annapolis would not have that many violent crimes to merit such a procession. However, watch the evening news from Baltimore and many a big city and you’ll notice that the first 5 stories every night are about a shooting or a fire or what have you.

So my 3^rd point is - besides visiting churches and checking out the stations of the cross on the walls – or your key station -  besides checking out the history of the stations of the cross, come up with your own 14 spots or situations where you have experienced your Way of the Cross.

There’s a spot on 6^th avenue and 59^th Street in Brooklyn that generates all kinds of sad sorrowful energy for me. When I ride over  that  black macadam spot, the memory that hits me is this: this was where my mom was killed by a hit and run driver while walking to church. Another place I feel a similar sad energy is when I go by the hospital where my dad died. Then there is spot on the Gowanas Parkway. It’s below another hospital where my nephew Michael died of cancer – very suddenly – at the age of 15.

I mention these spots – these stations – these places -  not to get self-attention but to call attention to the reality we all have our 14 moments – memories – or what have you – that are our stations of the cross.

You know yours. Deaths …. Cancer …. Marriage disasters – or kids dropping out of the faith – or drifting into drugs – or what have you.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Personal Stations of the Cross.”  The missalette says we can make a brief homily and then spend a brief period in prayer.  I suggest that you take the time to make the Stations of the Cross. Make many brief periods of quiet prayer. If married,  share with your spouse what you come up – making your personal stations of the cross together.

April 3, 2015

RELICS OF THE TRUE CROSS  

I’ve often heard the cynical comment

that if all the relics of the true cross

around the world were glued together,

we would have a forest. Not true.

I say that because I also heard that

someone measured how many tiny

splinters of wood we could get

from a wooden cross – and we could

get enough splinters for all the churches

around the world. Interesting comment.

Now for the interesting numbers.

Could we measure how many people

have relics of the true cross in their

mind and heart, soul and spirit?

There’s that crushing comment a

parent or priest or school principal

made at us 26 years ago – or that

that time we were nailed to a cross

of a family problem – taking care

of a parent when all our brothers

and sisters disappeared – or a family

situation when nobody would talk to us.

Talk about relics of the true cross!

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015

April 2, 2015

THE FACE OF CHRIST

I’ve seen his face in ten thousand faces - in malls

and in tenement halls – in art museums – in paintings

on walls – and outside art museums - in the hungry

and those without -  especially in those without –

without food or clothing or a place to stay. I’ve see
his face in ten thousand face to face sightings of

each other as everyone walks their way of the cross.

I’ve seen his face on ten thousand crosses – ten

thousands pieces of bread – ten thousand sips of wine -

in his body and in his blood, in Eucharist and in detests

of one another – as we walk the way of the cross with

or without each other. I’ve seen his face in ten thousand

mirrors – in ten thousand sightings of you in me and me
in you, here, there and everywhere around the world.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

FOOT  WASHING 

His wife, Janice, finally asked him, “Every night – well almost every night - after supper you soak your dad’s feet in that tan plastic bucket – during the evening news. Then you dry them with a towel. Nice. A question that hit me is this:  Is there a story behind all this?”

This triggered in Jack a memory. It was the night he asked Janice, “What would it be like if we invited my dad to move in with us?”

His mom had died. His dad was all alone. Jack and Janice’s kids had moved out. One was still in college. The other 4 kids had finished college – were working – and two were married.

So to the question about asking dad if he wanted to move in with them – Janice said, “Great! It will give you and our 3 grandkids a wonderful experience to be with each other even more.” 

Janice loved her grandkids – day caring for them 4 days a week – and dad was still rather healthy – and he could help take the kids to the park or the zoo or what have you.

Jack, her husband, was still working. He was a mechanic  - at the local school bus garage.

After asking that first question, Janice said, “I know all that, but why do you have that great smile on your face as you put your dad’s feet into the tan plastic bucket and pour just the right temperature hot water on his feet?”

“Janice,” Jack said, “sometimes when I was a kid, my dad would take me over at least two nights a week to see grandpa and grandma – and grandpa would always be soaking his feet when we were there. Grandpa’s feet had gone bad early. So I would see my dad getting hot water for his father’s feet – and pouring in Epsom Salts. My dad’s dad had been a cop and was on his feet all day – walking his beat.  Nowadays, most cops are in patrol cars. Well,  his feet hurt – often hurt.”

“Oh,” said Janice. “Nice.”

“So,” Jack continued…. “I guess with dad living with us and getting him hot water and Epsom Salts,  I’m just keeping up an old family tradition.”

Then he said, “I always liked the silky feel of Epsom Salts in hot water. I love to see my dad’s face when I dry off his feet and rub his toes dry.”

Janice and Jack were quiet for a while.

Then Jack continued. “As I looked back on my dad – I realized all he did for the 5 of us when we were growing up. So the least I could do for him was to help him soak his feet.”

“And ooops,” Jack said, “I better tell you the best reason. My dad once told me that he was doing his father’s feet one evening. It was Good Friday. We were all at Mass for Holy Thursday the day before. My dad said,  ‘This is just what Jesus did at the Last Supper to his disciples. He talked a lot about love at the Last Supper – but washing feet was love without words.’”

Janice was glad she asked Jack – because he was a man of few words. He was mostly about doing.

Then Jack continued. “My dad had said that it was Mary Magdalen and then at another time some other lady who washed and dried, and then anointed Jesus’ feet." 

Jack paused and then said, "My dad added, 'So I guess at the last supper Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and then dried them, because he had seen it done. That’s love. That’s service and I found out it does work.' So Janice that’s basically the story why doing my father's feet puts a smile on my face.”

Quiet.

“And Janice, do you want me to wash your feet?”

“Nope, but I’d love you to wash the dishes. They're in the sink and I’m dead tired right now and I need resurrection.”

“Gladly,” said Jim. “Gladly. And by the way, I saw some nice bread in the bread box – and there’s some great wine in the cabinet over there. How about two pieces of bread – some cheese – or some peanut butter - and some wine.”