October 10, 2015

RENEWABLE  ENERGY

Paralyzed?  Energized?

It happens every day.

Sometimes it's an accident,

but 99 out of 100 times 
it's people -

people paralyze me -

people energize me.

Deep below the ground

of my being are these hidden

sources of energy - some

positive - some negative - memories
- half-remembered moments -

the good, the bad and the ugly -
triggers ... instigators ... connectors.

The bad and the ugly

are often comments or put downs

that poke and probe my psyche.

Sometimes they push me

over the edge and I crash

and I end up paralyzed.

Hopefully, luckily, blessed is

the ear of a friend or a word

from their heart that tells me 

they hear my words and worries

and I’m re-energized.

Paralyzed! Ugh. No!

Energized! Yes. Thank you!

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

October 9, 2015

CREDO
SONG FOR MYSELF

I believe every one has a creed -
like the creed we say at Sunday Mass.

However, I believe very few have 
spelled their beliefs out. They're
like thoughts and songs just 
blowing in the wind - scraping 
on the window of our minds. 
I got this thought when I heard 
Harry Chapin sing, "Song for Myself." 
It's one of his creeds. He had many.

Just listen to that song: "Song for
Myself." It's a very simple creed: 
The answer that is blowing in the 
wind - can't just be, "Let it be." 
No way. Harry Chapin's creed in this
song is, "I have to have a little more 
love if I want good times ahead. I have 
to be good to myself and I better 
be a little bit good to my friends."

Creeds like this and creeds from church - are succinct. They can be powerful - 
but they are just dead leaves blowing in the wind or empty songs we're really
not hearing till we live them out -
moving out or our heart into our eyes,
our words our actions like being good 
to myself - and being a little bit 
better with being good to my friends.

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

October 8, 2015

ARMORY

There is an armory in my mind,

with shelves and display cases

of unforgiving scary weapons:

knives, guns, grenades, claw

hammers - even rocks tied to

wooden clubs from way back.

There is another room in my mind

that Jesus talked about only once.

It was in the Sermon on the Mount,

Matthew 6:6. Now if I sit in that

sacred room instead of going into

my armory - then all will be well.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

October 7, 2015
Feast of the Holy Rosary

STEPPING STONE BEADS

Life is like the moving along

our rosary beads - our life,

with lots of mysteries - lots

of stepping stones to feel,

lots of steps to take - lots

of prayers to make - lots

of moments to experience -

like crossing an iron chain 

bridge at times - moving

from early annunciation

moments - to sorrows - to

light bearing mysteries - to

the glorious mysteries of life.

And like Mary, full of grace,

to do them all with the Lord

being with us, now and at

the hour of our death. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015

October 6, 2015

NIGHT COLD AND SILENT

Once October comes here

in the Northern Hemisphere,

hint, hint, smart, smart, each

night just sneak out after 11 and,

just listen to the sounds of night,

just look up into the night sky,

just feel the cold and silent night

surround you - just stand there
or slowly walk down to the end
of an empty street and you’ll see 
a lot more than you’ll see in 
the bright busy of the day. 
Then without words - pause - then

praise and thank God for one

more day of life and love and

presence - knowing there is more.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015

GOFIGURATIONS

Velazquez

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 27th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “GoFigurations.”

It’s a word I made up for this homily and for a “How to….” method for reflection on many scripture readings or texts.

We can apply this method to many Bible readings - like today’s first reading from Jonah 3: 1-10 on how fast people converted.  Did you notice in today’s first reading that not only people fasted - but animals as well. St. Francis and Pope Francis would love that.

However, in this homily I’m only going to do some “GoFigurations” on the gospel story of Martha and Mary.

GoFigurations.

Spelling:  “g o F i g u r a t i o n s” 

Notice the capital "F” within the word.  If I invented the word, why can’t I put a capital within the word?

Meaning: Figurations one has to go figure out.

PREFIGURATIONS

Last night as I was reading a scripture commentary on today’s gospel story about Martha and Mary, the author - probably Marcel Bastin - [three names are mentioned as authors] (1) - uses the word, “prefigurations”. Martha and Mary are presented as figures - for the church to look at - and to imitate - yes even Martha.

The church has to serve - feed - care for others - like Martha did for Jesus.  Luke presented the figure of the Good Samaritan in yesterday’s gospel as a figure to imitate. Today the church is going deeper and saying, “Yes you have to serve - but don’t forget the guest.”

That’s why husbands and wives who have guests over - learn to switch off and on - to make sure both are present to the guests - and not be inwardly complaining about being stuck with all the work in the kitchen. In fact, neglect some of the finer goodies and foodies - if you’re going to neglect time with the guests.

Both are important - but one is more important than the other.

Martha is important - but Mary - if you go figure out this story as it’s presented here in the gospel of Luke - she has chosen the more important role at the visit of Jesus to their house.

GOFIGURATIONS

So I made up this word, “GoFigurations” - as a way to read and hear the scriptures.

The scriptures are loaded with figures. We know what figures are. Anyone who took an art class knows that when you begin to draw or paint a picture, you first draw figures. The artist or would be artist sketches them there on paper or cardboard - even canvas - and anyone looking at an artist’s preliminary work looks at it and tries to figure out who or what the figure  is  - and what is the artist is going to draw.

Go Figure.  We know just what that slang throwaway phrase means.

Something happens. It’s a puzzle. And we say scratching our head, “Go Figure.”

So we listen to this story Luke tells us about Martha and Mary. We see the figure of Mary just listening to Jesus. We see the figure of Martha coming in and out of the kitchen with a face on. Now go figure out the message. Study the scene.

We’ve been in similar scenes many times in our lives. We’re visiting a family and the host brings out hors d’oeuvers -  like pigs in the blanket. Well, oops, Martha being Jewish would  not have served them - well we all like good bread - delicious wine - and a good conversation.

Did Jesus like an audience? Well,  there was Mary - at Jesus’ feet - mind you?

Who / what was more important: the food we eat or the people we meet while eating?

Luke is some story teller. We can paint the scene in our imagination. We can picture Martha - steaming as she was steaming food in the kitchen. There is her sister doing nothing - nothing - and Jesus ends up praising Mary. Go figure. He is biting the hand that is  feeding him.

Go Figure. Go deeper. Get the message that people are more important than a super perfect 5 star supper.

CONCLUSION

Now go figure. Do a configuration. GoFirgurate. What message do you come up with?

Go Figure. Go Deeper. One message is this: Jesus is the center of the banquet. Jesus is the reason we are here at Mass.

He is the one to notice -  to pay attention to - even if we have poor readers, a poor sermon, poor music, someone coughing, babies crying, ushers in shorts, Eucharistic ministers with cleavage, and ambulances flying and crying down Duke of Gloucester Street.

The guest is Jesus.

Come let us adore him. Christ the Lord.

Come let us meet him! Come let is eat him - eat him up.

NOTES:

(1) God Day By Day, Following the Weekday Lectionary, Volume Three, Ordinary Time: Luke, Commentary on the Texts, Marcel Bastin, Chislain Pinckers, Michel Teheux,  Translate by Robert R. Barr, Paulist Press, New York/ New Jersey,1984

DON’T  LIMIT  THE IMPLICATIONS 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 27 Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Don’t Limit the Implications.”

Today’s gospel is Luke 10: 25-37. It’s the Good Samaritan Story.

We’ve heard the story 100 times - but too many times we limit the implications of the story to just someone who is beaten up or laying there on the sidewalk.

But sometimes the story creeps - slips out - jumps from just that person - to someone in a church or a mall parking lot - who is stuck with a flat tire or their car won’t start and they ask us if we have jumpers and could we give them a jump.

And many times we're like Jonah in today's first reading - Jonah 1:1 to 2:2, 11 - and we head the other way when we feel the call to help someone.

KIDS RETREATS

I’ve given hundreds of high school retreats - and kids' days of retreat - and I am forever grateful for the Good Samaritan story.

Little kids get it when you tell them to break up into small groups and recreate the Good Samaritan story taking place in their lives. You tell them to play act the story - having some kids as the robbers and some kid as the victim - and three kids as the Samaritan, the priest  and the Levite - or use your imagination and have the story in some situation at home or at school or when you're playing.

I love to sit there and see the variations.  I’ve see kids asking other kids for some money for a soda machine - after they lost their wallet or forgot their money. I’ve seen kids sitting in a chair as if it's an imaginary bathroom - only to discover there is no paper - and they call out to their brothers and sisters to simply get some toilet paper. Then two say, “NO!” but the least expected kid says, “I’ll get a roll for you.”

In a High School retreat for our kids, the Good Samaritan was Buckwheat - the guy who goes around Annapolis - always walking on the street and never on the sidewalk - swinging his arms with plastic bags - and they made him the one who stops to help someone who was beaten up and left penniless.

I’ve notice boys love to take the part of the robbers play acting the beating up some other kid.

US

The implications is that the story is for everyday and everyday situations - to step up and step out to help a person who is stuck.

When I had the job of Novice Master in training future Redemptorists,  I often said, “If someone asks you for help - that’s a compliment - because haven’t we all said of someone, “You can’t ask him!”  “You can’t ask her!”?

You only ask those you know will help you.

CONCLUSION: BLESSED FRANCIS SEELOS

The title of my homily is, “Don’t Limit the Implications.”

Today is the feast of Blessed Francis Seelos who died visiting folks with Yellow Fever in New Orleans. What a way to die: helping other human beings?

That’s the way he spent his life - helping folks in Annapolis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, etc. etc. etc.

He certainly got the message on not only how to do life - but how to inherit eternal life as the scholar of the Law in today’s gospel asked Jesus the secret today.

Answer: be the Good Samaritan.