BE THOU MY VISION 

O  LORD OF MY HEART 

Bi Thusa Mo Shuile is the Irish Hymn, Be Thou My Vision, in the modern Irish language. This

translation was rendered by Maire Brennan's grandfather, and sung by Maire Brennan herself.

Artist: Maire Brennan

Album: Whisper To The Wild WaterLicensed to YouTube by

Curb Records (on behalf of Word Entertainment); CMRRA, UMPG Publishing, UMPI, ASCAP, and

Music Rights Societies

1	Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art; Thou my best thought, by day or by night; Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
2	Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father and I, Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
3	Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise; Thou mine inheritance, now and always; Thou and Thou only, first in my heart; O King of glory, my treasure Thou art.
4	O King of glory, my victory won; Rule and reign in me ’til Thy will be done; Heart of my own heart, whatever befall; Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

PSALM 46:

VERSES 1 AND 2

Verse 1
God is our shelter and strength,
always ready to help
in times of trouble.

Verse 2
So we will not be afraid,
even if the earth is shaken
and mountains fall
into the ocean depths;

Verse 3
even if the seas roar and rage,
and the hills are shaken
by the violence.

PSALM  79: 

VERSES 3 & 4

Verse 3:
They have shed 
your people's blood
like water;
blood flowed like water
all through Jerusalem,
and no one was left 
to bury the dead.

Verse 4: 
The surrounding nations
insult us;
they laugh at us 
and mock us.

August 25,  2018

HAMMER

If I came back from the dead,

what would I want to be? It

would be a hammer of course.

So solid, so basic, so strong.

A hammer…. Like being 911 -

providing help at a moment’s call.

But I know I won’t be back from the

dead. I’ll be in the soft dark unknown -

with God so solid, so basic, so strong.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 25, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“There is nothing more agreeable in life than to make peace with the Establishment - and nothing more corrupting.”  

A. J. P. Taylor [1906- 1990]

Questions:

Who are the Establishment?

What does it mean to make peace with this who?

August 24, 2018

BLOOD SPILLS

Blood spills on stones and dirt -

precious blood on the altar cloth,

the sacrifice on the tablecloth of earth -

soldiers trying to escape from

snipers and mortars on the hills

above the road to where they

thought they would probably die -

crying  - praying - hoping that this

war and all wars would  end right now.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 24, 2018 

Thought for today: 

"No matter what political reasons are given for war, the underlying reason is always economic." 

A. J. P. Taylor [1906- 1990]

August 23, 2018

THE FACE OF A TREE

Are trees self-conscious

when people pause to stare

at their bark - their skin -

their face - to touch and check

out their texture - especially

when it’s rough  and tough -

as if it had acne or pimples

or other teen age skin problems

years and years ago, but the

scars and rough skin remain?

Or does wind and weather,

rain and cold and snow,

become their greater worry -

or lovers carving their initials

into the heart of this tree -

this tree of the cross - knowing

these two will be broken

or broken up by next spring -

and there will be more stories -

many more carvings to come?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 23, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Reading  is  sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought.” 

Arthur Helps [1813-1875]

August 22, 2018

CHURCH STEEPLES

Do steeples and crosses, 

do churches and cemeteries, 

still stir up in us a God, “Hmm”, 

a God advertisement -  that 

God is above us and around 

us and underneath us? 

Or has all that ended and now  

it’s up to babies fingers, oceans, 

mountains, the morning shower, 

or  autumn leaves to get us to 

pause and hear God’s, “I am here” - 

hovering like a fly in your midst? 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 22, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Man ceased to be an ape, vanquished the ape, on the day the first book was written.” 

Arthur Helps [1813-1875]

HOW HARD IT IS 

TO LOSE AND TO LET GO

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 20^th Tuesday  in Ordinary Time  is, “How Hard It Is to Lose and to Let Go.”

Today’s two readings have various messages.  If you read them ahead of time, what message - what question -  hits you from today’s two readings?

The one that grabbed me is what Ezekiel said, “You might think you’re  a god - small “g” god - but you’re not God.”

Ezekiel continues, “You might have great wisdom and great riches, gold and silver, but you are still not God.”

The gospel has a follow up from yesterday’s gospel  in the story about  the young man wants to follow Jesus. Jesus says, “Keep the commandments”. He says, “I do that - but I want more.”  So Jesus tells him to let go of everything - “sell it all - and give the money to the poor - and then come follow me.”

He can’t do that  - so he walks away sad.

Jesus then says to his disciples, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus goes further, “Amen I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”

I’m sure you’ve heard us preachers tell what different scripture scholars think the eye of the needle. I’ve heard it could be a gate in Jerusalem or part of a boat a big rope goes through. Others say it’s just what Jesus said, “A camel can’t go through the eye of a needle.” In India we might say, “It’s like an elephant trying to get into the back seat of one of those smart cars.”

TITLE OF MY HOMILY ONCE MORE.

Once more the title of my homily is, “How Hard It Is to Lose and to Let Go.”

Part of being a human being is that we lose things. Life has great finds and great gifts, but it also has moments of loss.

Yesterday we heard about Ezekiel losing his wife.  She died and that is a horrible feeling.

We are not God. We lose people; God doesn’t. God gets all people.

We lose people by:  death - divorce - being dropped -  people moving to Florida.

We lose homes. Houses burn. How tough is that? Houses that have  pictures - mementos - gifts - a dad’s chair - a table that his come down through the generations - all gone in a fire.

On our high school retreats Ginny has an exercise. I’ve done it 37 times. I vary it every time. Your house is on fire. You can grab 3 things - not counting pets or persons - what would you rescue?

So we are not God. We lose things. We age. We lose our youth. We lose our health.

Watches keep ticking - even if we lose our watch.

THE CROSS

This reality of the possibility of loss is life - it’s part of the classroom - called life.

We are not God, so hopefully the cross - not being able to control life, not being able to control God, not being able to control our future, hopefully brings us to God - brings us to the realization I am not God - therefore I need God and others.

Surprise - God one ups us. He becomes one of us and he discovers he can’t control the horrors - the sins people do to each other.

Surprise - God let go of controlling us - in giving us freedom and free will.

Surprise -Just as the young man in yesterday’s gospel had the freedom of walking away - well God gave us that ability - and in that very reality - lies the beauty of life.

Love is not love - if it’s a have to love - if it’s not a freely given love - if it’s not a love that can be cancelled.

Love is a choice. It’s a bummer if it isn’t.

Love is wonderful, beautiful, powerful, when we realize it’s a gift given to us - when it could be ignored or not given. Amen.

Can I get you a piece of pie or a dish of ice cream - vanilla, peach or butter almond?

August 21, 2018

OPTICS

What you see is from where 

you are sitting: 

like in a wheelchair, 

like in a bus - aisle seat, 

like in the driver’s seat, 

like at the head of the table, 

like in the judge’s seat, 

like in the corner. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

Picture of Joni Eareckson Tada

August 21, 2018 - 

Thought for today: 

“We all admire the wisdom of people who come to us for advice.”  

Arthur Helps [1813-1875]

DON’T CROAK 

BECAUSE OTHERS 

WILL TELL YOU TO GO  CROAK 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Don’t Croak, Because Others Will Tell You to ‘Go Croak.’”

I wasn’t sure just what to preach on today.  The first reading talks about Ezekiel losing his wife. She died. I had 2 funerals last week of husbands losing their wives. So that is on my mind - so maybe address that reality. Today’s gospel talks about the rich young man who couldn’t let go of his possessions. Evidently they possessed him.  I’ve thought at times about preaching how possessions can possess us - how stuff can stuff us.

However when I was reading up about St. Bernard, whose feast is today, I noticed a great anecdote - and I decided to underline thoughts that triggered.

As I read the life of Bernard, I began reading how he was often asked to help the church in lots of areas: in disputes with Abelard, with disputes about 2 popes being voted for at the same time, in disputes with the Benedictines vs. the Cistercians, with organizing the Second Crusade against the Muslims - and various other key issues of the time.

In the meanwhile he was trying to be a Cistercian Monk and to practice quiet and contemplation.

Then in the midst of all this the Pope asked a cardinal named Harmeiric to write a letter to silence Bernard.

So that’s when and where I get the title of my homily, “Don’t Croak, Because Others Will Tell You to Go Croak.”

Rome and people in Rome complained about Bernard basically being a busy body. He was described as as meddlesome monk. “Cardinal Harmeric, on behalf of the pope, wrote Bernard a sharp letter of remonstrance stating, ‘It is not fitting that noisy and troublesome frogs should come out of their marshes to trouble the Holy See and the cardinals.’”

“CROAK! CROAK!” 

That’s my attempt at imitating a frog. I know I have to work on it.

Well, upon receiving a letter of complaint, Bernard wrote back that he was dragged by force to help at the council. He wrote, “Now illustrious Harmeric if you so wished, who would have been more capable of freeing me from the necessity of assisting at the council than yourself? Forbid those noisy troublesome frogs to come out of their holes, to leave their marshes ... Then your friend will no longer be exposed to the accusations of pride and presumption.”

Rome - the Pope - and Cardinal Harmeric were impressed with Bernard’s comments. [Cf. Marie Gildas [1907]  in "St. Bernard of Clairvaux" in Charles Herberman, Catholic Encyclopedia, 2, New York: Robert Appleton. 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

That example hit me.

How many times in life have family asked us our opinion about family?  How many times have someone asked us about politics?

Then when we give our opinion we have the same experience as Bernard: we attacked.  We described as being worse than a frog.

CONCLUSION

It’s then our move - to bite the bullet or to speak up.

Either way, don’t croak!

August 20, 2018

WAITING ROOM

Are all rooms waiting rooms?

Waiting for the doctor?

Waiting for the test results?

Waiting for another to die?

Waiting for the son to come home?

Waiting for the daughter to tell all?

Waiting for a spouse or lover?

Waiting for a child to talk about

          their first day of school?

Waiting for a book club to show up

          and talk about their latest book?

Waiting for a counselor or lawyer

to talk about a troubled marriage?

Are all rooms waiting rooms?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 20, 2018

Thought for today: 


“A  house  is  not  a  home.” 

Polly Adler [1900-1962], 

Title of a Book (1954).

August 19, 2018

CHESS  MOVES

He loved to play chess in open spaces.

And every time he played he won.

And every time he won, he didn’t

really notice or rub it in that he won.

In fact, he really didn’t notice he was

playing - because what he was doing -

was watching everyone in the plaza

as they played their own chess games.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

INTO THE MIX AND MESS 

OF HUMAN LIFE 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B] is, “Into the Mix and Mess of Human Life.”

Sometimes we Christians wonder about our religion:  Being a Christian.

Sometimes we Catholics wonder about our religion: Being a  Catholic Christian.

Hopefully questions pop up in our wondering. Hopefully, we’re thinking people. It’s okay to ask questions. It’s okay to wonder whether this is all real? Is there life after death? It’s okay to wonder about  Mary, the Virgin Birth, Communion, Christ - becoming one in Christ in his Body and Blood, the Mass. Is this all real?  We come down the aisle and we hear the Eucharistic Minister say, “The Body of Christ.” And we say, “Amen” which means, “I believe.”

And sometimes we say with the  father of the epileptic son in the Gospel of Mark - 9:24, who came to Jesus for his son’s healing, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”

There’s a great prayer: “I believe. Help my unbelief.”

It took our Church its first couple of hundred years to come up with a language and creeds and councils - like Nicea and Chalcedon - to formulate the theology of Christ. This meant disagreements, heresies, splits, and people who walked away,  It’s like the folks in this 6^th Chapter of John - which we’re listening to these 5 weeks in our Sunday Gospels. John is giving us what people in Jesus time and then in the Early Church time - wrestled with in dealing with Jesus’ message about eating him up - embodying Christ - being in Christ in communion. We’ll hear next Sunday - the ending of the 6^th Chapter of John - this concluding  message: “many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.”

THE CHAIR

When someone tells me that they don’t believe in God, I like to use the example of a chair. This usually happens when I’m sitting with someone.

I begin by talking about the difference between “I know”  and “I believe.”

I like to say: “When it comes to God, I don’t believe in God. I know there is a God.”

Then I point to a chair.  “I don’t believe there was someone who made this chair. By seeing the chair, I know there is a chair maker.  It could even be a bunch of people or a robot, but by seeing a chair - I know there is a chair maker or a robot maker, who programed making a chair.

Next I point to the sky - or the sun and I say, “I don’t believe there is a moon maker or a sun or star maker. I know there is a star maker.”

So there is a difference between I know and I believe.

Try this with one of your kids who says he or she doesn’t believe in God.

If they don’t get or accept that difference between knowing and believing, quit arguing or don’t go further with the discussion.

Then I say, “I know there is a chair maker, but I don’t know what the chair maker is like.”

Then I say, “I know there is a God, a Creator of the sun, the moon, and the stars, but I don’t know what the Creator is like  - other than being creative and makes a lot of stars in lots of space.”

Then I say, “Here’s where faith comes in - in the personality of the Star Maker. That’s where the scriptures come in. That’s where Jesus comes in. That’s where the ‘I believe’ statements come in.

JESUS CHRIST

If we listen to Jesus enough we’ll  hear him say, “See me, see the Father.”

We know Our Father as we get to know the Son.

We know the Spirit as we get to know the Son and the Spirit of Love between the Father and the Son and anyone they breathe life and existence  into.

THE TITLE OF MY HOMILY

Once more, the title of my homily is, “Into the Mix and the Mess of Human Life.”

In the fullness of time - God sent His Son into our world.

Jesus came into the mix and the mess of human life.

Jesus comes as a baby - into human flesh - and Mary and Joseph can’t  even get a place to have their baby.

We hear that story  in Luke.  In Matthew we hear about the slaughter of the Holy Innocents because of him.

Jesus walked our streets. He saw market places and bakers and bread makers.  He saw people dancing and he heard people singing. He saw our greed and our needs.

He saw men wanting to kill a woman caught in adultery. Was one of the rock throwers one of the men who was caught in adultery - who wanted to silence her - lest his wife find out?

Jesus saw sin - mess - hunger - thirst - the wounded and the weak.

Jesus came into all this mess.

Jesus comes to us as bread and wine. He comes into our mouth - whether we floss or not - brush our teeth or not - into our bodies and our personality.

I love the Gospel Text: “This man eats with sinners and dines with them.”

Jesus comes into the mix and mess called me.

WE PRIESTS - WE CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS

Last week, we priests - we Catholic Christians - we human beings -  heard the mess and the bad news of what some priests have done to minors and others  - and then there was the cover ups.

I thought this was all over a couple of years back - but nope there’s still stuff that hasn’t been solved or resolved.

Sometimes it’s tough being a Catholic. Sometimes it’s tough being a priest.

I hope this is one more scream to parents, keep your eye on who might have your kids in their predatory sights.

We have made progress in that abuse is being seen not just as sin - but as criminal  - and please go to the police for starters - as the Dallas Charter of the Catholic Church states.

We can read the letters and appraisals in the newspapers that folks have made - and hear anger and compassion.

A lady from Pennsylvania was telling me just yesterday that she was reading stuff on line from Jewish folks and lots of non-Catholics and some of them  have greater compassion than some Catholics.

We know now that some of  this sexual abuse stuff is a life time problem in abusers psyche and history.

I hope we continue to make major changes in our church - that all this is put into the hands of lay people - psychiatrists, specialists, parents, police, FBI, etc. etc. etc. who will  be given power to do more about sexual abuse.

For nine years I was I charge of our Redemptorist Novices. I’d have a novice for a year and a day - as part of their training to become a Redemptorist - besides time in theology and philosophy. I didn’t pass anyone forward, whom I would not be willing to be stationed with - and whom I discerned would not be a good priest and a good Redemptorist.

It was a tough job - with a heavy responsibility.

CONCLUSION

Let’s hope this is a better week for our world and our church. This world can be mixed up with a lot of mess - but we know God came to walk our streets and share bread and wine with us - his body and blood is in our mix.