April  25, 2015

THE RAFT

Somewhere out there in the deep waters

          is a raft

          called Love,

          called God.

And everybody knows it’s there,

          somewhere,

          as we all swim

          around in this ocean

          of words and stuff,

          trying to find the raft

          called Love,

          knowing that Love

          is the answer,

          as all the songs sing it,

          as all the prophets tell us.

And it’s hard work swimming and struggling

          and trying to find that raft

          called Love,

          called God.

And suddenly some of us

          spot the raft

          off there in the distance

          and as we swim closer

          we see it’s almost sinking

          with people.

Then God reaches out with his hands

          and pulls us up

          out of the water

          and onto the wood,

          and just then

          God suddenly laughs

          watching us trying

          to lug our wet possessions

          on board, too.

But then God starts to clap

          and slaps somebody

          on the back,

          who just then saw our stupidity

          and threw his stuff overboard,

          and once more

          there is just enough room,

          just enough space,

          on the raft

          called Love,

          called God. 

(c) Andy Costello

April 24, 2015

WHAT’S IMPORTANT?

The teen-ager couldn’t wait for summer,

couldn’t wait for all those summer mornings

he and his grandfather

went fishing, went talking.

“Grandpa, what’s important?”

(LONG PAUSE)

“Well, you’ll have to sit back and listen to people

for the answer to that one.

“Or better, you’ll have to watch people.

Watch their hands, their faces,

but especially watch their eyes.

People always tell you

what’s important with their eyes.

“Why I once had a man tell me that his wife

was dead 3 years and 44 days

and he was still counting,

and his eyes were still crying

“Or listen to your grandma next time you take

her shopping. Listen to the things

she brings up -- the things she talks about

when she meets her friends.

I know you always find shopping

with her boring, but watch her

as she takes out her pictures of you

and all her other grandchildren

to show them to her friends.

“Watch people watch their watches.

They’re telling you an awful lot.

And yawns . . . Notice yawns.

They’re always a dead give away.

“Listen to the sounds behind words, behind voices . . .

what people get angry at,

when they get mad.

Then you’ll know when someone is stepping on somebody’s values or somebody’s nerves.

Then you’ll know that someone is going beyond

somebody’s ‘No trespassing. Private property’ sign.

“And don’t worry too much about people’s answers.

Listen to their questions.

Questions always tell you a lot more.”

(LONG PAUSE)

“By the way, why did you ask that question?” 

(c) Andy Costello

April 23, 2015

PRESENCE

Let’s be honest.

We all know about presence,

whether a person wants to be with us

or whether they feel trapped,

like a prisoner in our presence.

The baby knows.

She knows even when she’s sleeping

whether her parents want her or not.

The old people know.

They know which of their children

are only a phone call

or a visit away.

The team knows whether the cheer leaders

have to cheer or want to cheer.

They know when the crowd

is with them or not.

They know. They can sense it.

The people in the church know

whether the preacher

wants to be in the pulpit or not.

The wife -- the husband -- they both know

whether their marriage

has become a trap -- people living,

people dying in separate prison cells,

or whether their marriage

is an ever expanding universe,

an ever expanding move towards God.

I am.

God is present and we know it.

Presence:

we know these truths about presence

even when we deny them.

And all is touching.

All the cells of the universe

are touching each other,

present to each other,

cheering each other on.

All is present to all.

All is circular.

Everything is present to everything.

Everyone is present to everyone.

Everyone is present to God.

God is  present to everyone and everything.

The universe is a sign

of the ever expanding presence of God,

like the baby to the parents.

My life is touching your life

Life is touching life.

Life is touching God.

Yet some people feel trapped.

They feel like they are dying,

in a closed prison cell,

unable to open up to the presence of another person,
to the presence of God.

And the truth will set you free.

And all cells will be opened. 

(c) Andy Costello

April 22, 2015

COULD BE BETTER….

The weather, could be better ….

My health, could be better….

My spouse, could be better ….

My life, could be better….

My faith, could be better ….

The weather, could be worse ….

My health, could be worse ….

My spouse, could be worse….

My life, could be worse ….

My faith, could be worse …

Me - you tell me - am I better
or worse than expected....

THE  MASS AS A MEAL

Check out the following video's - on the Question of the Mass as a Meal.

UNDERSTANDING  THE  MASS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3rd Tuesday after Easter  is, “Understanding the Mass.”

It takes a lifetime - and then some - and then till we’re celebrating the eternal wedding feast - for us to have a better and better understanding of the Mass.

Here’s a few threads about the Mass.  maybe you can sew them together.

THE TABLE

As you know, as you realize, Christianity revolves around a table.

As you know, after Vatican II,  50 years ago -  our understanding of the Mass expanded and evolved - as well as returning to its roots.

If you don’t accept evolution and revolution - and change - you’ll miss the meanings of the Mass.

We change. Life changes. Life evolves. Look at a baby’s skin and compare it to an 80 year old person’s skin. Evolution…. So too the mind….

Life happens. Life keeps on revolving. The earth is on a roll. The earth has been revolving while evolving around the sun for 5 to 10 billion or more years now.

REVIEW

Some of us saw the Catholic Church turn the tables.

The priest spoke the language the people spoke. The Mass became a face to face experience. There was supposed to be a move to a more bready bread taste to the bread. We have seen it change colors - from bright white - plastic look alike bread to more and more tan wheat bread color. Some churches have tried bigger pieces of bread - but to feed 500 - with bread left over - and some brought to the sick - heavier and  more bread looking  like bread - crumbles easier.

Have some wine. Have some wine that tastes like Palestine. But wine is more difficult to work with.

This is difficult with crowds. That’s easier with just the bread.

This 6^th chapter of John - which we heard part of today - should be read and read, chewed on, chewed on, digested, digested. If there is anything Jesus does, it’s his nourishing us. It’s getting us to think and mull over life.

This memory and memorial of Jesus is a meal. Come and eat. Come and get it. Share. Chew and listen. Do this in memory of me.

At any good meal, we don’t just eat and drink, we talk and listen.

We are in communion with each other.

We become what we eat. We become what we drink. We become what we talk to each other about.

SO THE MASS IS A MEAL

We know meals. We know food. Cook books are up there with the best sellers when it comes to books.

We know eating. We get that from day 1.

Jesus cooked up a great experience with his Mass.

Everyone eats.

Everyone is becoming.

Everyone is passing over.

Everyone has roots.

Everyone is part of a story.

So there are readings of that story at every Mass - just as at every time we sit down to eat we remember our stories - re-membering every member of the family.

It’s not good to skip out - to miss a meal - to drop out of the family - like Judas did - like so many have - by skipping meals - by not being there for the family meal - at least on Sundays.

It’s not good to be alone.

It’s not good to eat alone.

Yet even when eating alone we are remembering our days, our moments, our lives . We’re talking and listening to each other - in our upper room - in our skulls. It’s better to be eating and talking with each other.

Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day, “How was your day?” “What’s happening?”  Haven’t seen you all day. Haven’t seen you in a while? Is everything okay.

It’s good to talk after Mass.

Of course communion is difficult.

It’s hard to hold and listen to and hold onto -various conversations during a meal. Someone on my right says something interesting. Someone on my left or across the table says something. It’s hard to hold onto two or three conversations at the same time as well as conversations going on in our heads about something that happened yesterday or what we’re going to face today.

Who said we can’t have distractions?

A meal is all about distractions. Jesus who is going to betray you today.

Life has it’s rock throwers - its traitors.  Hey Saul wanted Stephen out of the community.  Life is filled with all kinds of better and worsers.

CONCLUSION

We have to move on. Finish meals. Move on. And we can continue this life and another meal tomorrow. 

[Painting on Top: Coming out of Mass by Jose Ferrer Miro]

April 21, 2015

RED CORVETTE 

Driving up West Street, 4:30 P.M
or so, the traffic was building up.... 
I spotted a red Corvette, waiting
to step out, from a side street,
right turn - going in the same 
direction as I was heading.
He spotted my hand gesture to,
"Come on out. Get ahead of me."  
He did. Great smile. How long was 
he stuck there? I'm now behind him. 
On the next street,
and on the next street,
and on the next street,
and on the next street,
he did what I did.
He let 4 people out "Wow!" I thought. 
"Love begets love." Each time he put
a smile on my face. I touched that
smile and could feel it on my skin.
Did he still have his original smile?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015