SIMULATIONS  

OF GOD 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Wednesday in the 6th Week of Easter is, "Simulations of God."

Since today’s first reading is about God and since the Gospel has Jesus telling us about the Father, I would like to talk about God today.

The title of my homily is: “Simulations of God.”

Simulate means, “as if” – “faking it” – “a copy” – “a deception”.

The one we love is not really the one we love. It’s only a simulation, a fabrication in our mind,  built of assumptions about the person we love. 

Then,  if we stay with and love the one we love, long enough, we’ll eventually discover who the one we love really is.

Arthur Clarke said this in this way: “The person one loves never really exists, but is a projection focused through the lens of the mind onto whatever screen it fits with least distortion.”

I’ve often said to couples preparing for marriage that there are 6 people in a marriage: the she, she thinks she is; the she, he thinks she is; the she, she really is. The he, he thinks he is; the he, she thinks he is; the he, he really is.

Say that 10 times very fast....

Well the same goes for God.

FIRST READING

In today’s first reading from Acts we have Paul walking around a Greek temple in Athens looking at the different shrines of different Gods - till he came upon an altar with the inscription, “To the Unknown God.” [Cf. Acts 17:15,22 - 18:1]

It’s easy to picture this scene from today’s first reading. When people visit a church for the first time, they take a tour of the place – with their eyes or with their feet.

I picture Paul walking around checking out all these different statues of the Greek gods. He’s fascinated.  Then he becomes even more fascinated and excited when he comes to an altar dedicated to The Unknown God. 

There was his opening for a speech and speak he did.

Interesting – in today’s reading from Acts we hear an old trick people play when they feel an inner "Uh oh!" “We’ll get back to you on this – some time when we have time.” 

Surprise! There’s no Athenian Church or Letter to the Athenians in the New Testament. I would think that would have been the best letter of Paul: To the Athenians.

THE GREATEST SIN?

Thomas Merton says the greatest sin is idolatry.

At times, I think the greatest sin is laziness.

Someone else said, “The greatest sin is our inability to accept the otherness of other people.”

George Bernard Shaw said, “The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that is the essence of inhumanity.”

Others say, "It’s cynicism.”

So what the greatest sin is, is up for arguments.

Today with this story about Paul going to the temple of the gods in Athens, let’s go with Merton. The greatest sin is idolatry - putting strange gods before the real God.

JOHN LILLY

I have a book called Simulations of God by John Lilly. It’s where I got the title for this homily. The book is a great examination of conscience on the first commandment.

He gives a long litany of simulations of God by people. Listen to some of them:

·       God as the Group,

·       God as Power,

·       God as Pleasure and Sex,

·       God as Science,

·       God as War,

·       God as Money,

·       God as Compassion,

·       God as Death,

·       God as The Body,

·       God as Righteous Wrath, etc.

·       He even has God as Computer.

In his book, John Lilly says he tried LSD and his mind showed him some weird stuff.

I never drank in my life – but once I had a horrible flu and was feeling miserable. Someone gave me a good dose of Nyquil. 

I ended up seeing some weird stuff – and the room was really moving and spinning at 5 miles an hour – me with an 102 degree fever. 

It taught me why some people take drugs. 

It taught me why native people take Peyote or Ketamine. 

It taught me why some Native Americans use mushrooms.

John Lilly is a M.D. Having experimented with drugs he recommends not taking drugs for so called “mystical experiences.” 

Instead to get into mystical experiences, he recommends the old fashioned way of prayer and meditation. 

He says from experience that’s a better way of getting in touch with God.

He also describes an interesting thing he pushes. He has this tank of water. The water is only  10 inches high. It’s kept at 93 degrees Fahrenheit. In the water there is enough Epsom salts so that a person can float. The tank is in a very quite place – far from sight and sound. He says that some people have experienced the feeling of discovering the great religious truths while in that tub of water.

OURSELVES

I’m sure people use a bathtub for a similar calming experience.

I would also think that Paul’s experience at that temple in Athens can bring about a similar experience as well.

Walk around. Watch people. Notice what gives life and what kills people. Notice what people think happiness is – joy is – what the purpose of life is – where God is.  

Notice people praying.

Like Paul keep on discovering Jesus Christ. Keep on meeting Jesus Christ. Go into Jesus’ presence in prayer and ask Jesus to reveal himself to us. 

Like Paul says, we’ll discover that God is not really that far from any of us. “In him we live and move and have our being.”

CONCLUSION

All this happens slowly. 

That’s why we keep on coming to church. 

That’s why we pray. 

We slowly unmask our projections and simulations of God. 

And when we do, when we meet God from time to time, we go "Wow!"

As Jesus tells us in today’s gospel, “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.” [Cf. John 16: 12-15.]

But unlike the Athenians who say, "We'll get back to you on all this," Jesus continues. He says  the Spirit of truth will guide us – and give you more announcements to come.

As in every great marriage that works, we discover the person we married is far greater than anything we knew about the other than the first time we fell in love with them.

In prayer, we look at our pursuits and what we’re after. We ask who is our God? And in humility we might say with John of the Cross that we don’t know. And then with Jesus, to accept that as a poverty and hope that he is on the shore waiting to feed us or he is in the boat sailing along with us. Jesus is a sailor.

To go to Jesus and ask for Light

Knowing that if we stay with him long enough we will know him and then know the father

And be like Paul then proclaim him to others so we’ll get to know God. Amen

May 4, 2016

EVERYDAY  LEAPS 

That the water is good….

That you care….

That the Bic ballpoint pen won’t leak in my pocket onto my white shirt ….

That God is aware….
That you’re listening….

That I make a difference….
That this helps….
That this is caffein-free coffee....
That the dog wants more than treats….

That you’ll look before switching lanes….

That you’re telling the truth in this newspaper article….

That the surgeon knows what she’s doing….

That the bridge will hold ….
That these 4 tires are okay….

That this bourbon is actually Jack Daniels….

That there is a tomorrow….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

May 3, 2016

BACKPACKS 

AND  SUITCASES 

At some point, everyone realizes

that the other walks up to us to talk

to us with a backpack or a suitcase

filled with expectations, assumptions,

stories and hopes for x y or z to happen.

At some point everyone realizes

that’s why it’s difficult to really hear

what the other is saying, wanting,

desiring or hoping for. Nope: they

have too much baggage with them.

At some point everyone realizes
I  do too. Like those folks who

check the bags at airports, we

have to see what’s inside. Then it’s

easier to talk to each other on the flight.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

INTRODUCING  PHILIP, 

INTRODUCING  JESUS, 

INTRODUCING  GOD  THE  FATHER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Introducing Philip, Introducing Jesus, Introducing Got the Father.”

Today is the feast of Saints Philip and James.

I just want to say a few words about Philip - leaving James for another day.

The thought that hits me for a homily this morning about Philip is the human interaction called, “Introducing someone to someone.”

We do that at times.

I do a lot of weddings. One of the things I often hear is how a couple met and often it’s because someone introduced someone to someone.

Have you ever introduced someone to someone and they got married?  

At get togethers we often get the opportunity to introduce someone to someone else. “Hi! Janet, let me introduce you to my mother-in-law, Jane.”

PHILIP THE INTRODUCER

There’s not much in the New Testament about Philip, but what we have can introduce us to a few neat things to ponder.

Philip, being an apostle, is mentioned in all 4 gospels  - but very, very  little in Matthew, Mark and Luke. John has a bit more. John introduces us to several information items about Philip. The Acts of the Apostles has a lot more - but today’s gospel is from John.

Philip introduces Nathaniel to Jesus in John 1: 43 ff. Philip introduces the little kid with the bread to help with the great Eucharistic text in John 6. When some Greeks want to meet Jesus, Nicodemus introduces them to Jesus.  [John 12:21]. And in today’s gospel from John, it’s there that Jesus introduces Philip to God the Father - and upon reflecting upon these Last Supper words of Jesus that we get an earful from Jesus about who the Father is.

ENTERING THE TRINITY

Philip asks Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

When I read that I’m hearing Philip saying to Jesus: “Introduce us to your Father - whom you’re always talking about.”

Jesus responds with the great text, “Philip. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

Jesus continues by saying that is exactly what  he has been doing. Jesus’ words are not his words, but the Father’s words. The Father is dwelling in him. What I, Jesus, am doing is the Father’s works.

W  W: words and works.

That to me is a great revelation.

To me that can be lost - in some of these mysterious comments Jesus  makes in the gospel of John.

Hopefully - a key reason we are in church - is to  enter deeper and deeper into God the Father and Jesus wants to introduce us to our Father. 

I sense people down deep want to know who this mysterious being called God is - what God does. They want to know the why’s of life - and sometimes they voice that by asking, “Who is God?” What is God like? or “Why did God do this to me? Why did this happen?”

I sense that we Christians separate God from Jesus when we get into this area of mystery.

Well, Jesus is telling us here in the Gospel of John - “Get me,  get God.”

“Get me - Jesus - walking around Israel 2000 years ago - and you’ll be getting into God - as you page up and down the roads of Israel with him.

Jesus is in the Eucharist and still on the cross in the suffering and the poor of the earth. I’m thinking mainly this morning about walking with Jesus on the pages of the scriptures - as he stops to talk, to listen, to heal, to feed others.

So we start with the Gospel of John and his mysterious and poetic way of speaking. We unpack some of that. It takes a lifetime. But we also move into the other gospels - and we see God walking down roads - feeding folks, healing folks, speaking to folks.

TO BE PRACTICAL: THAT MAN IS YOU

I think I got this - but forget it too, too often - back in the 1960’s - precisely 1964 when I read Louis Evely’s book, That Man Is You. 

His message was from the story of David in 2^nd Samuel 12: 7. David, the King,  had stolen Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. He was one of David’s soldiers - who was off fighting while David was home having lots of siestas.  One afternoon David woke up - walked out onto one of his balconies and spotted this beautiful woman bathing down below. The rest is history. He got her pregnant - and sin unraveled.

To get David to see what he did, Nathan the Prophet came to David and told him about a rich man who stole a poor man’s sheep.

Someone with had many wives - wanted one more - and basically stole her from Uriah - one of his soldiers.

When David heard about the rich man who stole the poor man’s sheep, he got curious and furious and asked, “Who is that rich man who did that? I’ll make him pay for that behavior.”

And Nathan said, “That man is you.”

David got it and changed his life.

I got it when I read that book by Louis Evely that I’m every character - well not every character - in the Bible - in the Gospels - and when I read and hear the scriptures - all kinds of insights happen.

CONCLUSION

Well, in today’s gospel, Jesus is telling us about the insights that will hit us when we hear all that Jesus is telling us from the Father and when we see all that Jesus is doing because this is his Father’s will.

What is God like? Why is God like?  Who is God like?

Hello!   H  E  L L O!   It’s Jesus. 

CONSUBSTANTIAL

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of St. Athanasius is, “Consubstantial.”

We’re familiar with that word “consubstantial” because it was reintroduced into the English translation of the Nicene Creed 2 years ago or so. 

And it caused a bit of an uproar. People said, including myself,  “Come on now…. The translation we were using was much better.”

Nope we were told, the word was to be “consubstantial” once again.

So “begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father” was changed to “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father”.

HISTORY  - PREVIOUS UPROAR

A little history helps….

The question was: how to explain the Trinity in words? What words do we use?

Jesus talked about God his Father. Jesus talked about sending the Holy Spirit. Jesus talked about being one with the Father.

Jesus spoke in Aramaic…. The Jewish scriptures were in Hebrew.

Our thinkings and our talkings are in English. At least mine are.

The revelations about God were told in the Semitic thought patterns of Israel.

How do we tell the story  in Greek thought patterns - and Greek words?

Greek philosophy enters the picture - enters the conversation - steps out on the stage - when it comes to that question.

How can there be three persons in one God?

Are they all God? Are they all equal? Are they all the same?

What Greek nouns to use?

If we are to talk - we have to use some words.

For starters God is a Being. The Greek word for “being” is “OUSIA”.

All three persons in the Trinity are of the same being. The word for “same” in Greek is, “HOMOS”.

As I tell this story - I get nervous - because we’re talking about God here.

Adding to the difficulty and the complexity of all this - is the teaching and the tradition that Jesus was both human and divine.

In English we use the words “nature” and “person”.  That’s another whole history.

In the history of our Church there have been all kinds of heresies - mistakes - fights - discussions on what words to use - without going down the wrong path in talking about Jesus and in talking about the Trinity.

It took history - heresies - time and theology - councils and decrees - to come up with what we came up with.

So gradually the Greek term that was used for “same being” was “homoöusion”.

That was the word used for describing Jesus Christ at the Council of Nicea in 325.

A priest named Arius [258-336]  did not hold that Christ was God.

Some said he was human and God the Father put the “spark of God” in him.

Nope. All three persons in the Trinity were different - but all three were equally God.

Next - when we enter into the Latin, the Roman speaking world, what word do we use for “homoöusion”.  Answer: “Consubstantial. That became the Latin translation of the Greek word “homoöusion”.

It was a Latin word that Tertullian came up with - “consubstantialis”. It’s an adjective. It stuck - even though in time Tertullian struck out as a member of the Christian Church.

Another reality that makes all this complicated is that in Aristotle’s Greek Philosophy - and then Scholastic philosophy, “substance” means the essence - whereas in Western thought and in the English language “substance” often means material - matter.

In Aristotle’s ontology - how he sees being - there are 10 categories: the substance - what makes a chair a chair. That’s invisible. Then there are 9 accidents which can make one chair different from other chairs: quantity, quality, relation, habitus, time, place, position, action and passive.

This substance accident theory from Aristotle will help in talking about Christ in the Eucharist - in the bread. In transubstantiation the substance of bread changes - but the accidents remain the same.

But let’s stick with consubstantiation.

 So the bottom line is this: the Son is begotten, but before all ages, of the Father’s own being and the Spirit proceeds eternally.

Hello.

That’s a mouthful - far beyond our comprehension - but that’s roughly how the mystery of God as Trinity is talked about using Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Latin and English words.

So the uproar in coming up with that term at Nicea in 325 - was far bigger than the uproar a few years ago - when we got back to the word “consubstantial” when reciting the Nicean Creed.

To put into words the mystery of Christ - as human and divine - had to be done - but it can never be satisfactory. How could anyone but God understand the deepest mystery of God as Christians understand him: 3 persons in one God.

ENTER SAINT ATHANASIUS

Today we celebrate Saint Athanasius - his dates were around 298 - 373.

He fought all through his adult life for the theology about Christ and the Trinity that the Church accepted - and was sent into exile 5 times - for his beliefs.

So that is why he is known as the great defender of Christ and the Trinity that the Catholic Church holds today.

Attempts are made from time to time on how God is God - and sometimes theologians scream that something reworded is not correct. It’s heretical.

So I tread carefully in saying what I just said.

Enough already.

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.