June 28, 2016

FEAR  APPEARS

Fear appears at the edge of the cliff.
“Uh oh! I have nowhere to go!”

Looking down, it’s too far down….

Surprise!  I turn around and see a

whole wide backwards, right there in

front of me. Humiliation … but I’m free.
 

Fear appears at this side of the door.
I stand there alone and quite afraid.

The corridor is dark - but the light is

on - on the other side of the door.

Humiliation... but I’m free - free to

leave - or to knock on the door?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

LORD, INCREASE OUR FAITH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 13^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Lord, Increase Our Faith.”

In today’s gospel the disciples are terrified in the boat they were sailing along in with Jesus. A violent storm  shakes them up. They need the Lord as savior.  So they wake him up and  beg him to end the storm and save their lives.

Storms, horror stories, fires,  floods trigger all sorts of people to get on their knees and beg God for help.

IN NON-PANIC  MOMENTS

When things are going well, it might be the better time to work on increasing our faith. 

“Lord, increase my faith.”

It’s one of my favorite prayers. It’s in Mark 9:45. A father of a boy with epilepsy hears Jesus say you have to have faith. So he responds, “I do have faith. Help the little faith I have.” Another English translation puts it this way, “I believe. Help my unbelief.”

Needing faith is a regular call and a regular message in the 4 gospels.

In this homily I’m stressing that we pray for it. So that’s why the title of my homily is, “Lord, increase my faith.”

It’s the prayer of the apostles in Luke 17: 5.  Jesus had just said that we need to forgive our brother 7 times a day. To0ugh stuff. Then there is a tomorrow. So they realize to forgive is quite a trick. So they pray for the ability to have the faith to do just that.

“Lord, increase our faith.”

ST. IRENEUS

Today is the feast of St. Irenaeus - an early Christian saint - preacher, teacher and writer. His dates are from around 130 to 200 when he was killed because he was a  Christian.

TO INCREASE OUR FAITH, THREE PRACTICES

So to grow in faith, prayer is the place to start.

I like to push using rosary beads for short prayers besides the Hail Mary and the Our Father.

So on the 59 beads pray, “Lord, increase my faith.”

It takes 2 or 3 minutes.

That’s the first practice.

The second practice would be awareness exercise - contemplation exercise.

St. Irenaeus would begin with creation. He said, “The initial step - if we want to come to knowledge of God - is contemplation of nature.”

Open up our eyes and see all around - and let what’s all around us - get us thinking - wondering - growing - knowing that God is behind everything.

Jesus stressed that approach all the time: Learn a lesson from the wild flowers. Study the birds of the air.

This is what the Prophet Amos is doing in today’s first reading. Did you hear his list of interesting examples?

If two people are walking together, that tells us something about them. They are in agreement about something. 

When the lion roars, it's because he sees an enemy or supper. He would  not roar if nothing was present.

Birds are free - soaring the earth. Therefore, they have avoided traps.

So the first way to increase our faith is to increase our using our eyes, our ears, our sense of smell, what have you - as   well as our minds to grow in awareness of creation.

The third practice would be use our scriptures.

Irenaeus was also big on both the Old and the New Testament for learning.

I love the Eastern Rite command before the readings  at Mass: Wisdom be attentive.

So each morning say about what’s ahead “Wisdom be attentive.”

So too about the bible readings. Wisdom be attentive.

What is Amos, what is Isaiah saying to us today.  What is today’s gospel saying to us today: wisdom be attentive.

CONCLUSION

That’s my homily.

Practice those 3 steps for growth in faith.

Pray the short prayer, “Lord, increase my faith.”

Check out what’s right in front of us - and see the wisdom that surrounds us.

“Tolle et lege….”  Take and read the scriptures as Augustine did and see what happens - listen to the wisdom on its pages.

Hopefully these 3 exercises will help us when the storms of life hit us as we cross the waters of life. 

O O O O O O

Painting on top: Rembrandt, 

Christ  Crossing the Sea of Galilee

OUR  MOTHER 

OF  PERPETUAL  HELP

  

Today we Redemptorists celebrate the 150th Anniversary of being asked to promote the image, the ikon, the picture, of Our Mother of Perpetual help.

In May of 1866 Pope Pius IX gave us the charge to do that.

We don’t know how old the ikon is - but we do know it goes back before the 1400's - to the Island of Crete - where people prayed to Mary in front of this picture - for some time. How long? We don’t know for sure.

It was stolen and smuggled on board a ship and went to Rome. It made it. We know that other images of OLPH made it by ship to the United States in the late 1860’s. We also know that images of OLPH sunk to the bottom of the sea on the Andrea Doria.

Back to the earlier story ....

In Rome, it stayed in someone's home for a while - till as the story goes, "... our Blessed mother herself appeared to the little girl of the household and told her that she wished her picture to be placed in a Church. She even designated the place - 'between my beloved Church of St. Mary Major's and that of my beloved son, St. John of Lateran.'" [1]

We have evidence that it was placed in St. Mathew’s Church in Rome on March 27, 1499 - for veneration.

For 3 centuries - that’s longer than the present 150 years - this Church and this picture was one of the places in Rome where people went to pray to Mary for help.

Mary is not God - yet we ask her to ask Jesus for help. Read the story of the wedding feast of Cana in the Gospel of John 2: 1-12. Those who think prayers of petition to Mary was a later invention of the Catholic Church - have to face Mary and Jesus in this story in the gospel of John - from the Johannine Community - dated to around 100. [2]

I’m from Our Lady of Perpetual Church in Brooklyn, so I saw people since I was a little boy - praying at Mary’s Shrine.

The other night at our anniversary O.L.P.H. service,  I said I was a candle boy - dealing with the candles people lit in prayer and petition to Mary. So I saw that. I was also an altar boy. I also became a Redemptorist, so I saw lots of people in prayer before Mary’s shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

 I see people going over to the shrine of Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help here at St. John Neumann as well as St. Mary’s.

So we Redemptorists are quite proud of promoting this image of Mary - which says run, don’t walk, to Mary’s presence and ask for help.

And Jesus ran to Mary - as the picture points out - even if you lose your shoes or sandals.

I have always been interested in the work of Eric Bern who is a founder of transactional analysis.  It’s basic premise is that we have 3 modes - 3 states we can find ourselves in: that of the child, the adult and the parent. [3] 

The child is the emotional side of each of us. When in fear, and trembling, and we don’t know where to run, we want our mom. We bite our nails, we suck our thumb, like every little kid.

I think that is the essential power of this image of Mary.

Run, jump, climb into the arms of Mary - no matter how old or how young we are.

The picture, the painting, is a pieta - and the Jesus in Mary’s arms can be the Christ child at Nazareth - or the dead adult Christ at Calvary.

I am proud to proclaim that story again and again - as the Pope told us to do in 1866.

I remember being stationed with Father Matt Meighan in Most Holy Redeemer, on the lower East side of Manhattan. He spent a good bit of his time promoting - going around and pushing parishes and churches - to have an image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in their churches.

He was happy to say he did this not only all around the USA - but also Ireland.

And I know the Irish Redemptorists promoted this image of Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help in India and the Philippines and on and on and on.

I’ve done a lot of work on the road - and so I’ve been in many, many churches and have seen this image of Mary everywhere.

That tells me that we have done our job.

Once more I’m pushing this image of Mary - Amen.

NOTES

[1] Novena in Honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help booklet, "History of the Miraculous Picture," page. 24, published by The Redemptorist Fathers, copyright, 1948 by the Redemptorist Fathers, Perpetual Help Center, 294, East 150 Street, Bronx, New York, 10451

[2] The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, Article, "The Gospel According to John, by Pheme Perkins, page 949

[3] Dr. Eric Bern, Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy; Thomas A. Harris, I'm OK - You're OK, Harper and Row, 1967

HELP!

 The easiest prayer to say and the most difficult prayer to pray consists of just one word: “Help!”

How many times in our life have we been too proud to ask for help?

“Help” is not in our vocabulary when all is going right, when we’re independent, when we’re in control, when we don’t need anyone or anything.

“Help” arrives as a word in our throat when we are stuck, when we are sick, when all goes wrong, when we have to depend on others.

The unknown author of the famous English spiritual book, The Cloud of Unknowing (c. 1370), teaches this message very clearly in Chapter 37. The best prayers have the shortest words. When there is a fire, we cry, “Fire!” When we need God, really need God, we cry, “Help!”

Isn’t “Help” a one word translation of the famous Psalm 130, “Out of Depths”? A man is drowning and he screams out, “Out of the depths I cry to you, oh God.”

Isn’t “Help” the behind the scenes word for John 21:18? “When we are young, we can walk anywhere we want to walk. When we are old ... someone else will put us in a wheelchair and take us where we don’t want to go.” “Help!”: the cry that echoes down every nursing home hall.

Isn’t “Help!” a one word translation of St. Alphonsus’ whole message about grace and prayer of petition? “Pray and you’ll be saved; don’t pray and you’ll be lost.”

Isn’t “Help” a one word translation of the famous picture of “Our Lady of Perpetual Help”? Jesus has a nightmare or a vision of the cross and he runs as fast as he can and leaps into his mother’s arms for help?

Isn’t “Help!” a one word translation of the scene in Luke’s gospel, when the disciples come to Jesus and say, “Lord, teach us how to pray?”

“Help!” Want to learn how to pray? Look at the icon of Perpetual Help. Ask Mary, ask Jesus, to teach you how to perpetually ask for “Help!”

© Andrew Costello, CSSR

IT’S A STORY:

OUR MOTHER OF 
PERPETUAL  HELP

It’s a story – everybody’s story – a child is scared and runs to his mother and then is scooped up into her arms – almost losing his sandal in the running.

It’s a story – everybody’s story – a mom holding her child – calming him down – and then looking out to see if there is anybody else who needs help.

It’s a story – everybody’s story – hands that are held and hands that are held onto – the need to hold and be held by another – the need to stay close to each other.

It’s a story – everybody’s story – sometimes people have eyes that look right into our soul and sometimes people have eyes that are looking elsewhere.

It’s a story – everybody’s story – that there are angels – messengers who bring us cues and clues about life. In the picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help they are named Michael, on the left looking out – and Gabriel, on the right looking out. Who have been the angels in our life?

It’s a story – everybody’s story – that these messengers, these angels, sometimes tell us of the reality of future suffering in our life – showing us the cross of death we’ll have to face when our way of the cross leads to our Calvary – as well as the sharp spears that stab us in the side and the sponges filled with bitter vinegar that we have to taste.

It’s a story – everybody’s story – the beauty and dignity of women and children.

It’s a story – everybody’s story – to be a strong wall of protection and security for all – especially children.

It’s a story – everybody’s story – to become holy, saints, bathed in halos of light, to become light to the world because of Jesus: The Light of the World.

It’s a story – everybody’s story – to read the handwriting on the wall – the handwriting on the pictures of our life, to study them carefully. It may be Greek to us, but in the famous picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, the writing tells us: Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is Mother of God – and Jesus is the Christ – the Anointed One.

It’s a story – everybody’s story – to have their picture put in a prominent place – to be honored, respected, remembered and loved.

© Andrew Costello, CSSR

June 27, 2016

PERPETUAL

Perpetual -- as in Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Perpetual -- as in ongoing, everyday, steady, faithful, always able to be counted upon help.

Perpetual -- as in God’s loving calls to the Church -- to be perpetual in prayer, serving, giving, forgiving, loving one another, always helping in the ongoing creation of the world, the ongoing bringing of Christ to the world.

Perpetual -- as in parents, teachers, nurses, doctors, police, fire fighters, priests, military, all those serving us, all through the years.

Perpetual -- as in a married couple always trying to keep their vows by listening, loving, helping, forgiving, being there for each other, through their 10^th, 20^th, 25^th, 35^th, 40^th, 50^th anniversary -- all through the years.

Perpetual -- as in a nun, always trying to serve God and to pray for and to help others, through her 10^th, 20^th, 25^th, 35^th, 40^th, 50^th anniversary -- all through the years.

Perpetual -- as in Mary at the Annunciation, saying “Yes” to God’s word -- perpetually saying, “Be it done to me according to your word.”

Perpetual -- as in Mary at the Visitation, rushing to help her cousin, Elizabeth, in her moments of need.

Perpetual -- as in Mary at Bethlehem, bringing forth Jesus, the Father’s gift to the world.

Perpetual -- as in Mary at Nazareth, helping her son to grow in wisdom, age and grace.

Perpetual -- as in Mary at Cana, becoming aware of a couple in need, and asking her son to help.

Perpetual -- as in Mary, a face in the crowd, especially on the way to Calvary, always trying to support her son with glances of love.

Perpetual -- as in Mary under the cross, being there with enduring love.

Perpetual -- as in Mary in the Early Church, helping all to do whatever Jesus has told us to do.

Perpetual -- as in Mary in the unfolding story of the Church, helping people at all her shrines, with their rosaries beads, in their prayers, in their needs.

Perpetually.

© Rev. Andrew  Costello, C.SS.R.

OUR LADY OF 

PERPETUAL HELP

Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help,

help me to say, “Be it done to me

according to your word.”

But, Mary, like you,

remind me to first ask questions,

so I can discover and ponder

what God is really asking.

Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help,

help me to notice those in need, so I

can move quickly to visit and help them.

Mother, Mother of Perpetual Help,

help me to see when others have

run out of the wine of life and help them

to do whatever Jesus tells them to do.

Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help,

help me to help others who are

carrying their cross or about to die.

Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help,

help me to be one of those people

who are life’s foundation stones,

holding family and community together.

© Andy Costello 2016