April 8, 2016

CONSEQUENCES

“Consequences!"
That’s the tattoo to put

on everyone’s arm!

“Consequences!”

That’s the comment

that should be announced

at the beginning of every meeting.

“Consequences!”

I.B.M. used to say the word was

“Think!” I prefer, “Consequences.”

“Consequences!”

Pause! Say it! Become quiet.

Remember the domino effect.
Then ask, "Now what consequences 
can we possibly picture happening?"

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

April 7, 2016

APPRECIATION

Appreciation - to be appreciated -

to be noticed for what we do - the

little things especially. Is this the

main motive?  Are we hoping to 
hear a “Thank you!” now and then - 
or better, “Let me do this. You’re 
already doing enough around here.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

April 6, 2016

MOTIVE?

Money, fun, sex, the game,

anger, pride, pay back, shame....

Are we all cops trying to figure out

the other’s motive? Or are some

people clueless and do what they

do without knowing what they do

and come to think about, we do too?

1.  © Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

JOHN 3: 8

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Tuesday in the Second Week of Easter is, “John 3: 8.”

We often see signs - bumper stickers - and magic marker signs held up in the air at football games -  that say, “John 3: 16.” That’s the beginning of tomorrow’s Gospel reading.  We know that text: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost - but may have eternal life.”

The title of this brief reflection for today is, “John 3: 8.”

It has to do with Nicodemus  as well. It’s this 3^rd Chapter of John and the section where we heard Jesus say, “The wind blows  wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. This is how it is with all who are born in the Spirit.”

Last night that got me thinking about the wind - and it was windy these past few days. Isn’t it March winds and April showers?

ONE OF LIFE’S GREAT LESSONS IS GOD IS A GOD OF SURPRISES

One of life’s great lessons is that God is a God of surprises - a God of amazement - a God who keeps us in existence for all our life.

John 3:8 talks about the wind.

I wasn’t too good in the sciences - but I do know the value of air, breathing, oxygen.

We wouldn’t be on this planet without air - oxygen. It’s  in our plants. It’s even in our rocks - somehow. In fact that’s one of  the plans if we settle down more on the Moon or get to Mars. They can get oxygen out of rocks and soil.

Oxygen in varying amounts is around.  It’s in our water. It’s in our blood.

In other words, it needs to be around if we are to live - breathe - and be.

SECOND BIRTHS

Conversion, change, is all about a second birth.

I always like the comment in The Natural - the baseball movie. Iris Gaines, played by Glenn Close, says to Roy Hobbs, played by Robert Redford, “We have two lives... the life we learn with and the life we live after that. Suffering is what brings us towards happiness.”

Some say the big life change is around 33. It’s earlier for women than men. Augustine was around 33.

At our first birth they get us breathing.  The foetus has practiced that - but she or he gets their oxygen from their mom through the cord.

Spiritual writers talk about this invisible thing called wind, air, breath, the spirit as the reality we got to get moving - in a new way.  It’s called ki, prana, ruach, atman, and when we take a new breath - a breath of fresh air, we can start again.

My sister in law named her boat Second Wind. It had another name, but she changed it  when she remarried after my brother had died.

Life is lots of new beginnings…. fresh starts …. second winds ….  small ones - but some significant big new ones.

Jesus comes to give us that new breath, new birth, new life.

Open up the windows and let in the fresh air.

Francis is calling us to open doors and let in new life - especially mercy where mistakes get us hiding in stale air in locked upper rooms.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, "John3:8."

It's the text where Jesus talks about the wind. 

It's invisible. 

Breathe it in.  Breathe out the bad. Breathe in the new. 

Today - let today be a fresh start, a new birth, with a new wind at our back. 

Like Nicodemus it takes a while to get all this - but hopefully like Nicodemus we get it.

April 5, 2016

HAPPINESS

It can be described but not defined. Yet

we can try to put happiness into words -

but it’s better to sit back on a back porch -

on an early April morning and just watch,

just listen: God’s orchestra is playing.

OK history can appear in the air - in inner

sounds and sights as well. Our story is

like everyone’s history: war and peace,

moving carts into bloody fields to pick

up the casualties and to bury the dead.

Happiness calls for forgiveness, table

talk, listening, listening, and laughing.

Or take a nice nature walk. Just  let

the good memories and good moments

take over. We know them. We know

when all is well - and not so well. 

Happiness has to do with work: education,
training, a good job, making a living, skills,
talents, out of work, looking for a job, 
favoritism, retirement, a second job.

Happiness has to do with control: in control,
out of control, can't control, feelings when
I think I'm being controlled or just ignored.

Happiness always has to do with people -
with that one person we have problems
with. It's always one - okay two at times -
and with people whom we know we can’t 

live without - and we tell them that - 

with food - yes food is necessary. A good

meal - good bread - good wine - a solid

table - strong chairs - time - communion. 

Add ice cream.... Come to think about it,

happiness is an aftertaste - so add a piece

of peach pie - if apple pie is not around.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2016

Henry Ossawa Tanner, "Mary"

MEDITATING 

ON THE ANNUNCIATION

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Meditating on The Annunciation.”

When you pray the rosary, what do you see, what do you think about,  when you pray the first Joyful Mystery: the Annunciation?

IF INTERESTED, HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS

First read the text - the gospel we heard this morning from Luke 1: 26-38.

Read it a few times. Use the old mediation method: Lectio, Meditation, Oratio, Contemplatio.  [a] Read. [b] Then think about what you are reading, [c] Next pray about it. [d] Lastly,  be quiet, be contemplative, let the seeds of thought sink in - becoming pregnant with new life.

Second.  Borrow your kids’ or grandkids’ crayons. “Unless you be like children, you won’t get into the kingdom of God” [Mark 10: 15]. Draw the picture. Picture your imaginations on the annunciation.

Then if you have a computer type into google, “Annunciation Paintings”.  There are well over 100 plus paintings of the Annunciation  - by all kinds of artists. 

Whenever you go into a church - especially a church named after Mary - look for the annunciation window. These windows here are from a Mary Church - 61^st Street New York City. 

Study the angels. Compare how others did angels compared to how you pictured angels. Do you have the angels close, above, distant, up in the air, off to the side? Where?

Study Mary’s hands. Looking at all the paintings of Mary, see palms up, palms down, hands crossed, a tight nervous hand, a drawn back hand, a hand over the heart. A hand to the neck. How did you do Mary’s hands in your drawing? 

Henry Ossawa Tanner 

The Annunciation [1898]

I like Henry Ossawa  Tanner’s The Annunciation. 1898.  He was from Pittsburgh. His mother was a runaway slave. She traveled the underground railroad from the south to the north. His dad was a Methodist Bishop. Henry did  some neat religions paintings. I like his Annunciation the best. I also like the blue of The Disciples See Christ Walking on the Waters.

Third: Think about annunciation moments in your life. Discovering when you became pregnant. Or a daughter. or a sister. or a friend announced a pregnancy.

Think about joyful announcements in your life.  Someone asked you to marry them. Then there are  engagements, getting the job.  

CONCLUSION

I have on my blog some reflections on the 20 mysteries of the rosary. Check out my Annunciation reflections.

But more importantly, since we’re looking at meditating in this homily, let me announce a good annunciation moment for me.

I’ve mentioned this at times to various folks - and some people disagreed with me. No problem. It’s not my problem.

Here it is. I once heard a priest on an audio tape talk say, who came up with the idea that distractions in prayer are a sin? He then added something like this: “To be a human being is to have distractions.”

I would add that they are not sins - but in general,  they are distractions. It’s the same as having a conversation with someone. They mention basketball and we think of the game tonight.  They  mention they are painting their cellar and we start thinking of cellars or a room we want to paint. If we catch ourselves - we come back to this other person - and we try to listen to them better. It can be rude or not nice to look at our watch when they are telling their story - or to yawn - or to cut them off and start telling them about a movie we saw on TV last night.

Picking up a rosary to say one is announcing to oneself, “I am about to pray.”  It’s the same as a Muslim picking up his or her prayer rug - for one of their daily 5 periods of prayer.

The beads can be worry beads. The beads can help us rethink and return to the different mysteries of life - some of which are joyful - some of which are sorrowful - hopefully some are glorious and all are Light Bearing.

And talking about how are mind jumps all over the place. Think of God being able to be in on the minds of over 7 billion people at once. How’s that for a hundred, million, billion, trillion distractions. Wow.

April 4, 2016

HAPPY  DEATH

Not two words heard too often.

“Happy Death….” Yet we were often told

in the past - to pray for a Happy Death.

Oh I’ve heard people say, “I want

to die with my boots on.” Translation:

“I don’t want to be a burden!” or “I

don’t want to have to  spend 3 years

in a nursing home with a walker or

be in a wheelchair or have dementia

or Alzheimer’s and be a PITA.”

Saint Alphonsus - patron of a Happy

Death - wrote a whole book on the faith

and prayerful side of preparing for death.
It’s entitled, Preparation for Death [1757]

and then he spent his last few years in a

wheel chair - with a body plagued by

severe arthritis.

So pray this prayer:

“Hey, Saint Alphonsus,

help me to live today full of grace.

And when I’m with Jesus Christ

on my cross, whether it’s made of

wheelchair or plastic tubes or what

have you, be with me and bring Mary

too, as well as all the Saints, now

and at the hour of my death. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

STATUE OF SAINT ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI IN A WHEEL CHAIR

SAN ALFONSO RETREAT HOUSE,  WEST END NEW JERSEY