January 3, 2018

ANNUAL  CHECK  UP’S

Check your eyes.

You might see more.

Check your ears.

You might hear more.

Check your mind.

You might think better.

Check your attitude.

          You might understand others better.

Check your heart.

You might be neglecting someone.

Check your faith.

God might be going, “Ahem!”

Check your hope.

Opportunities might be knocking.

Check your charity.

Love might be sleeping.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

REMAIN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for January 2^nd, is, “Remain.”

The word “remain” appears 6 times in today’s first reading from the First Letter of John 2: 22-28 - so I took that as a hint to preach something about the theme “remain”.

Now I’ve preached on this theme - “Remain”  at various times - and I don’t want to repeat sermons. Themes yes.  However, we’re being asked - according to surveys - to speak about spirituality - and schools of spirituality.  Well, “Remain” is a key theme in John’s School of Theology in the New Testament - that is, the gospel of John and the First Letter of John.

I think it’s a theme worth reflecting upon.

Remain … stay … be with … lodge … abide …be present … stand with ….

The Greek word for remain is “meno”. It sounds like the English word “remain”.  You can also hear the Greek word “meno” in the Latin word “remanere”.  The English word -  “remain’ - as in mansion - is dated from around 1400.

The Greek verb  for remain - “meno" - is used 40 times in John’s gospel but only 12 times in the synoptic gospels - that is Matthew, Mark and Luke.  So it’s a key theme in Johannine Theology.

TO REMAIN IS A LIFE ISSUE AS WELL AS A DAILY ISSUE

To remain or not to remain is a life issue.

Do I stay or do I go?  That’s a daily question.

How much time do we spend with another?

How long do we remain on the phone?

Yesterday afternoon I visited two people - both of whom were in nursing homes.

The first was a guy in Somerford Place - on Riva Road. His wife and a son and I figured his daughter-in-law were there as well. He was out of it - failing a lot lately - and about to enter into hospice.  I chatted, talked, connected with them. We prayed. I anointed him. At some point, I asked myself, “How long do I remain?”

The second was a lady in the Annapolitan Assisted Living. That’s a nursing home off Route 50, off Bay Dale Drive, off Old Mill Bottom Road. She was much more out of it. I anointed her. She knew the Our Father. I have found out those with memory loss know the words of the Our Father and the words of Happy Birthday.  Once more I inwardly was wondering, “How long do I remain?”  I spent more time with her - mainly because she was all alone.  I heard that her daughters come to see her most every night.

LOVE OF GOD AND LOVE OF NEIGHBOR

How to love God and to love our neighbor? One way is to remain with them.

The gospel of John has in Chapter 1 the story of Andrew asking Jesus: “Where do you stay?”

Jesus said, “Come and see.”

Jesus will say in the gospels, “Abide with me.”

Live with me. Abide in me.

Be like the apostles abiding in the Upper Room - as well as being with the Lord Jesus.

Be like the grapes on the vine - connected - remaining alive on the vine.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES

One of my favorite stories was told by a psychiatrist.

I think all of us can connect with this story.

There was this old lady in a dementia ward. When the psychiatrist would see her, he would first get a cup of tea for himself and a cup of tea for the old lady. He would go into this big room. It had a great window view - looking out to a big lawn and then the woods.  He would sit with her and enjoy the tea. Now a word was spoken in return for a couple of years.

Well on this one visit, the psychiatrist was sitting there in the silence. He slowly drifted off into thinking and talking to himself about where he would be that evening. The old lady - who hadn’t  spoken to this psychiatrist in years suddenly spoke up and said to the doctor, “Don’t leave me.”

She was saying: Remain with me.

Do we all know it when another is physically present - but they have left us and left us alone in the room.

Is our conscious down deep aware of whether another is really present or not.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m listening to a boring or complicated sermon - I drift elsewhere.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Remain.”

Prayer is sitting in the presence of God - and remaining with God.

So too friendships.

January 2, 2018 - 

Thought for today: 

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” 

Oscar Wilde [1854-1900]

January 2, 2018

STOP COMPLAINING

A teacher - whom I never expected

to be a teacher - taught me to stop complaining about the cold - as well 
as the heat of the summer. The teacher

was the big tree in my back yard. It

just sits there. It just grows there. It 
just exists there - naked in the cold 
and in the heat - without a complaint.

And I suspect, I do, that it won’t complain when it's cut down and becomes a chair 
or a table or a door - or it simply becomes firewood. Now that’s a humble ending.

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

January 1, 2018 

Thought for today: 

"Friendship is born at  that  moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'”. 

― C.S. Lewis  [1896-1963]

[I plan to put a thought or quote for the day - besides a reflection a day - on my blog this year. I did a poem by someone else every day a few years back. This is a more modest self promise. Have a good year. "What you too?...."]

AROUND YOUR NECK

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of  the Solemnity of Mary - the Holy Mother of God -  is, “Around Your Neck.”

ANTHROPOLOGY

Who was the first human being to wear something around their neck?

Are there any paintings - and there have been a lot of paintings in the history of our world - are there any paintings of Adam and Eve where they have something around their neck?

I remember watching a documentary about the history of our world - how we evolved - how we migrated - how we came about. Showing some hunters moving along through the woods or mountain passes some early people stopped to bury one of the group who had died. The narrator said this was a jump in our evolution - to stop to bury our dead. To pause, to cry, to leave a marker for the next time we come back this way. “Here is where X died and is buried.”

The title of my homily is, “Around Your Neck.”

Did someone take something from the deceased - put a rope or string through it and wear it around their neck as a reminder of a loved and appreciated one?

Who was the first human to wear something around their neck?

I assume in classes and courses on anthropology someone mentions the human practice of wearing medals and chains, rosaries, bones and beads, shells and stones, around necks. 

Thinking about this - while putting together this homily - yes, in those National Geographic Magazines and Documentaries about aborigines and native peoples around the world, often they are wearing stuff around their necks.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Why am I mentioning this topic?

Well, in today’s first reading from Numbers 6 we have the Aaronite Blessing.

Hear the reading again: “The Lord said to Moses: ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: “This is now you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!’”

I remember reading years ago that they found in a dig in Jerusalem two amulets or charms that people would have worn.   It was silver and in the shape of a scroll. The anthologists were very careful examining it. They were estimated to be some 2600 or 2700  years old.  Next they figured from its size - the size of a quarter or a finger - and the hole in it, that someone wore this around their neck. Next they saw that there was writing on these amulets - and they were very, very, very careful in unrolling these amulets.

Surprise they discovered it was the Aaronite Blessing.

Did the person who wore it - were there many of these - try each day to be gracious and kind and bring peace to those they met that day?  And if they did, did their face shine?

TODAY

Today - January 1^st -  is a feast for Mary, the Mother of God.

Today is also called, “World Day of Praying for Peace.”

Wouldn’t it be great if people who wear a rosary around their neck or the neck of the rear view mirror in their car - wear that - not just as a piece of jewelry - but also as a reminder to pray for others - in the various mysteries of life.

Wouldn’t it be great if those who wear an image of Mary around their neck - hold it for a moment - say a prayer for the day - or a Hail Mary - that they be full of grace - that they realize that,  “The Lord is with us today” - and do what Mary did - see everyone we meet as blessed - accept ourselves as not only graced and blessed - but we are sinners at times - and may that help us to understand each other better.

Wouldn’t it be great if we all prayed at least a Hail Mary together each day for peace in our world and in our families and work places and play stations.

And wouldn’t it be great if the father of each family - or mom - or both or all said the Aaronite Blessing each day or each night before going to sleep.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Around Your Neck”.

I once had a wonderful prayer experience.  I was simply sitting in prayer - and I sort of spaced out - perhaps even falling asleep - and I picture Christ as the Good Shepherd walking with me around his neck - like I was the lost sheep and he just found me.

I woke up and reflected on the possible message.  Christ is carrying me and all of us when we get  lost like stupid sheep around his neck. Then I began thinking how the underneath of a sheep must smell - and that’s me - skin to skin - my underneath - skin to skin -  to Jesus’ neck. Amen.

January 1, 2018

POTENTIAL

Happy New Year! 

January 1^st triggers 

various resolutions, 

which are triggered by our dreams,

which are triggered by our potential.

January 1^st hits us with hopes

because of its feeling of newness:

new calendar, new year.

We don’t think.

Instead, we dream 
that this new year

I’ll do more.

I’ll march more.

I’ll play more.
I'll pray more - better,
I'll pray better with the help of God.

I’ll use the gifts

I have been given more.

Amen!