May 2, 2016

HURRY SUN

It’s been gray these early days of May.

April showers have continued into May.

Hurry up sun. Appear on the stage - so

the flowers can rise and take their bows.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

WHERE  ARE  YOU? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Sunday after Easter [C] is, “Where Are You?

A LIFETIME QUESTION

That’s a lifetime question we often ask each other.

When we’re lost, we say, “Where are we?” or “Where am I”

When we’re talking with someone at a coffee break or a get together, someone asks us, “Where are you with so and so?” or “Do you think he’ll get the nomination?” “Do you think she’ll be elected?”

I was a wedding reception yesterday afternoon and the St. Mary’s Alumni ceremony last night and a 50^th Anniversary today and I was asked those questions at least 5 times - just standing there.

The “Where are you?” question is heard about place and space and state of mind and opinion.

Where are you right now: financially, spiritually, moodily, health, age, what have you?

THE BEAUTY AND THE WONDER OF BEING A HUMAN BEING

The beauty and wonder of being a human being is that we can have our butt in one place and our mind in another place.

When preaching I know people are in yesterday, last week, next week, next summer, 20 years ago.

When bored we get on board and fly to other planets.

When having a conversation, the story we’re telling is triggering the stories in the library of the other’s mind - and when we take a breath, the other jumps in.

Human beings sort of drift on the waters with the waves of thought in the room - just floating words and conversations - often without much depth.

Then there is the below the waters.

If anyone knew this, it was Jesus - the great observer of the human condition.

I often wonder why he left his inner room - why he left the carpenter shop in Nazareth and hit the open road. What triggered that exit, that exodus? Had he seen enough - for him to say, “I have to say something about what I’ve been seeing and hearing up till now.”

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s first reading we hear about this fight in the early Christian communities about Jewish laws - about circumcision, meat sacrificed to idols or strangled, unlawful marriage and what have you. [Cf. Acts 15:1-2, 22-29.]

In the gospels we know it was Jesus speaking out about laws crushing people - that the Sabbath Law was made for us and not vice versa. He told the story of the Good Samaritan - how two people,  a priest and a Levite, didn’t stop to help a person who was beaten up and robbed and left half dead, because that would mean breaking a law.

Where are you? Where are you on the purpose of Law?  We know the recent big meeting in Rome on the family - marriage  - and human life together - differences in people - and people who are different from us - how we see - how we be - how we treat one another. Where are you on all this? Read the Pope’s recent Letter, Amoris Laetita, On Love in the Family,  and ask as you read, where am I with all this? Ask where have I been, where am I now, and am I being called to reconsider where I am?

Today’s second reading puts us in a future place. Am I a dreamer? Do I often find myself in the future - in the next life - in eternity - or are they only thoughts for the old or for folks at a funeral?  Do I have faith in another life - a new life after this life in the New Jerusalem, as the Book of Revelation puts it in today’s second reading. [Cf. Revelation 21: 10-14, 22-23] Or if we use Dante, am I picturing being in heaven; Paradiso - and hopefully I’m not in the Inferno - Hell - but first I have to get through Purgatorio.

Today’s gospel has Jesus telling us, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him or her, and we will come … and make our dwelling with him or her.” [Cf. John 14:23-29]

Today’s gospel promises Peace - God’s kind of peace.

Where are you?

Do we realize we can go within - into our inner room as Matthew puts it or dwelling place as John puts it here in today’s gospel?

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIPS

The Book of Genesis tells us that it’s not good to go it alone.

Life tells us that it’s important that we do life with others.

Where am I?

Where are you?

It’s good to talk to each other about what we have learned and are learning and are wondering about in our life.

I had a job once as a Redemptorist priest to try to get us priests to talk and listen to each other.

Difficult.

For the most part, it didn’t work.

We also tried to get people in parishes to talk to each other - and listen to each other.

Difficult.

For the most part, it didn’t work.

We also tried to get priests of other orders and congregations to talk and listen to each other.

Difficult.

For the most part, it didn’t work

We have all heard about Marriage Encounter - it’s still around - but nothing like its big days. It was an effort to get couples to talk to each other - to listen - to write to each other - to get into the other - and basically to ask the  question that is the title of this homily, “Where Are You?”

We joke about the question, “How was your day?”

Yet it’s a good question - if we mean it more than small talk - if we really want to connect with each other.

We smile when another, waves their hand in front of our eyes, “Where are you?”

It’s not good to go it alone.

It’s great if they really want to know where we are.

CONCLUSION

Get a piece of paper. Get a magic marker. Have a magnet.

Write on that paper 3 words, “Where are you?”

Then answer that question: Where are we as a couple? Where are we as a family?  Where are we when it comes to acknowledging each other - listening to each other - being with each other. Amen.

May 1, 2016

MAY FIRST

It’s May 1^st. Workers of the World

unite. Carpenters, farmers, nurses,

plumbers, mechanics, sales people,

celebrate one’s work - one’s service - one's

need to earn enough for our daily bread.

It’s May 1^st. The silver bright plow

like a silver scissors slices the

dark brown ground. The farmer

is getting the earth ready for a

new planting,  a new season of

wheat. It’s been raining - slightly

on and off - the sun is peeking

through the clouds, making all

this a bit easier in this struggle

to make one’s livelihood.

It’s May 1^st. Workers of the World

unite. Work for good jobs, fair wages,

for families, babies, good schools, good

health benefits, a healthy environment,

so all can have and enjoy their daily bread.

  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

April 30, 2016

EUCHARIST

Bread - sacred bread…. I hear you  saying, 

“Come and get me.” Yet, for some reason,

Christ, I stopped going to church - years

and years ago. By now I’ve forgotten my

excuses. Yet, this Pope Francis guy - I hear

him saying, “Come and get it. Jesus is not

too complicated.” I think I’m getting that.

But Jesus keep on fishing for me. Jesus,
Good Shepherd, keep searching for me. Jesus
keep me hungering and searching for you.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

April 29, 2016

THE HARD - 

THE  DIFFICULT 

The hard, the difficult - is made of rock.

Red brick sidewalk, curbstone, doesn’t give.

Bending grass does, so too red rose petals,

or the soft fabric of a towel on a clothesline.

It’s hard. It’s difficult - since you died - 

and I’m not made of stone or rock. I'm just

a handkerchief that is frayed from taking it

out of my pocket - too many times lately.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

April 28, 2016

The Agnew Clinic, 

by Thomas  Eakins
[1889]

WITHIN

The stethoscope, the ear, the eye, the X-ray,

the MRI, the CT/Cat Scan, the PET scan -

all tell some of the within - but it isn’t till the

knife of the surgeon - who opens up the fleshy

within - that we know - what’s really going on.

Sometimes - it takes the knife and the cut of

time and pain - surgeons - to really know - 
what was really going on - in one's within.
And sometimes it’s good - not to know - till we

really know - the what of one’s fleshy within.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross,

[The Gross Clinic] 1875

by Thomas Eakins

April 27, 2016

ROCKS  AND  WATER

My mom used to say she grew up

on Galway Bay, Ireland - right on

the water - so close, “You could

put your big toe out the back door

and it would be in the water.”

My dad used to say he grew up

only a rock’s throw away from

my mom - right there near the Bay

in Ballynahown, County Galway,

Ireland - with lots and lots of rocks.

A few years ago we finally got to see

the water and the rocks - the what they

loved to talk about - family, farm, store,

Galway Bay, Ireland - going across

the water to this rock called America.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016