April 23, 2018
Thought for today:
“Search yourself and you will find God.”
Kurdish proverb.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Sunday, April 22, 2018
GOOD
SHEPHERDS
OF OUR
EARTH
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Good Shepherds of Our Earth.”
Today - April 22 - is Earth Day - and different religious
print and internet websites - as well as various other websites and
communication outlets -urge preachers and speakers, bloggers and websiters, to speak in favor of Earth Day today.
April 22, 2020 will be the 50th anniversary of
this idea.
QUESTIONS
This triggers various questions for me.
If we don’t say something about Earth Day, will some
people scream or say they are disappointed? They wanted to think about the earth today.
If we do say something, will some people scream, write
letters, what have you - saying this is a political issue not a sacred issue?
Will some people say, “I came here to Mass to hear about
the readings and Jesus Christ - not about the earth.”
If a preacher does decide or feel called to preach about
our earth - and good stewardship of Mother Earth - does he use the readings of
the day or what?
TODAY’S READINGS
Obviously, by the title of my homily and this preamble -
which seems to me to be a way to cover my you know what - I’m going to say some
things about our earth and I’m going to use the gospel for today for starters.
The psalm response and the first reading talk about the
stone or rock that has been rejected - that it has become the cornerstone. We can say that some people reject this
stone, this rock, we’re living on - earth
- forgetting it’s the cornerstone of our future and out children's
children's children's future.
Today’s gospel talks about two types of people who care
for sheep: the good shepherd and the hired hand.
If wolves attack the sheep, the Good Shepherd is willing
to lay down his life for the sheep. The hired hand will run away and save his own
skin.
The person who tries to save endangered species might be
praised or might be ridiculed.
The person who tries to push to keep the environment of
the Chesapeake Bay clean also will be laughed at or praised or ignored.
The person who tries to make Earth Day and protecting our
surroundings a non-political issue will be praised or made fun by someone who
proclaims that those in favor of endangered species and trees - are only into
politics - and in favor of regulations - regulations.
I remember the first time I drove into Mexico. Cars were
spurting out carbon monoxide big time and I realized it’s good that we have to
have our cars checked for pollution here in the United States.
SACRIFICE
I would think that the issue at the center of Earth Day
and keeping this earth healthy is sacrifice.
Regulations - cutting down on smoke - costs money.
To toss a wrapper on the sidewalk or curb is easier than
holding onto it till one sees a garbage can.
The theme for Earth Day 2018 is cutting down on plastic.
It will be an enormous sacrifice to cut down on bottled
water - and plastic containers. That whole industry will lose revenues. Everything
- all our medicines and a million other products come in plastic bottles, containers
or what have you. Plastic wrap has lots of advantages - like for left overs in
the refrigerator.
It’s easier to say to the check-out person, “Paper” when
she or he says, “Paper or plastic or do you have a bag?”
SUGGESTIONS
Become your own conscience driven person - making your
decisions about the environment from what you learned - rather than babble from
TV news programs. If you have a computer - which has a plastic keyboard,
etc. type into google “Earth Day” or “Protecting
our Environment” - and read the results and watch the videos.
What makes sense for you - for the good of all?
I did last night and got an eyeful. A whale was washed up
on a shore in Spain with 65 pounds of plastic in its belly.
What do you think when you read that in bottled water
there can be tiny, tiny, tiny particles of plastic?
Over in St. Mary’s High School, they have cold water
fountains, that makes it easy to fill a canteen of water - and registers how
many plastic bottles for water - one avoids.
I like water. I like bottled water in plastic -
especially when I’m thirsty - and I feel thirsty.
There are things we can do. Someone - somemanys - got to others by saying
things like: 2 million single use plastic bags per minute are distributed at
store checkout counters across the globe.
Single use - some are used as doggy bags - then there is
fertilizer.
Am I right that they don’t use those plastic things on
tops of six packs of canned soda anymore.
They have been known to choke birds - so was there a campaign not to
have them and the protests worked and they have been removed.
SACRED
When we are baptized, there is a moment there, when we
are anointed on our forehead - just an inch away from our brain. We are anointed, announced to be prophet,
priest and king. I’m sure someone says
somewhere, “prophetess, priestess, and queen.”
I don’t - but I do think - this new baby - or this newly
baptized person - is being called to do and to be three roles: “Speak up for
fairness, to be a preacher for justice and rights for all.” That’s the prophet we’re all called to be.
Secondly “priest” to consecrate
the earth and all the people on it - and all this earth and universe is: “this is my body, this is my blood, I’m
giving my life for you.” That’s the
priest in us. And thirdly king and queen - and to look to Christ - who told us
what kind of king we’re called to be: servant kings and queens.
Of course those who want to be served are going to
crucify that kind of king or queen.
It’s a sacred moment at each mass, when the priest lifts
the host and we feel a sense of reverence. Some people want a bell rung right
then and there. And the blood is lifted there. And people say a prayer right
then and there and bells are rung right then and there.
When do have those same feelings and thoughts about our
earth.
Can we see that this is our body: from this earth comes
French fries and apples and salads and Big Macs.
Moos! Oink oink.
Have you been to the Grand Canyon or watched the sun come
up out of the ocean in the morning at Rehoboth or go down at the Big Sur in California at the end
of a day. Last night they had a shot of the sunset over Dodger stadium.
Beautiful.
In the movie City Slickers, Billy Crystal is with some
buddies and someone brings up the moment that a little boy has when he comes
through the dark tunnel - up the ramp and sees a big beautiful green baseball
field for the first time. It’s sacred.
Have you been in a plane at night - with a window seat -
and looked down at all those tiny lights - and said a prayer for the people down
below within all those little houses?
What are your sacred moments? I love the moment at Sin Fronteras when the
waitress or waiter places in front of me a Beef Burrito - $9.95. It includes a
nice salad as well. We might be going
there tonight. When we eat out on Sunday
night - it’s date night for us priests. I see eating together as a Mass. The
salad, the rice and beans and the beef - plants and cows - had to be killed and
processed for me to have my supper. And
I’m surrounded by my brothers in communion and we laugh and talk about our
lives.
Do you see eating out or eating in a sacred moment - for
family and friends?
Some people drop out of church. They stop going to this
meal - this supper - called The Mass.
Does anyone realize the same thing happens in family? People stop going
to the family table for regular meals together
- regular communion with each other. They excommunicate themselves from
the family - and they end up lessening themselves.
I try to make the connection of “churchy” things with
everyday life things.
Earth Day can get us in touch with lots of everyday
things.
For example, don’t you hate it when you see someone
desecrate a place? Desecrate: meaning taking away the sacredness - the holiness
- the wholeness of a place? Anyplace? Don’t you hate it when you see a dirty
restroom on the highway or spot on the beach - where someone just dumped their
remains on our Mother Earth - without thinking of the next person?
CONCLUSION
There are two kinds of people: those who are good
shepherds and those who are just hired hands.
One sees the hotel or motel or rent a car - as a place
someone has to clean after me and use after me - so I’ll treat it as my own and
there is the other person who doesn’t
care.
There are two people who hear about Earth Day: the one
who hears a message for the Common Good and does something about it and those
who have eyes that don’t see, ears that don’t hear and a body that is only for
itself.
A TURN FOR THE NURSE
As the old “Get Well” card put it,
“After a while he took a turn for the nurse.”
In reality, as every nurse knows, people
get hurt and ask, “What do we do now?”
Then someone says,
“Is there a doctor in the room?”
No hands went up.
Nobody came running.
Then someone asks,
“Is there a nurse in the room?”
And ten people came running.
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018
May 6-12 National Nurse
Week in the United States
May 6-12 National Nurse
Week in the United States
April 22, 2018
Thought for today:
“As nurses we know suffering. We are fully aware of
how precious each moment of life is. We learn to live well.
Nurses are grateful people. Some people only learn
about these essential spiritual qualities from traditions of worship. We learn
compassion, love, peace and more by performing our daily work.
Nurses are constantly reminded of the necessity of
valuing the dignity and worth of every person. As a result, we become better people.
Our souls are healed. We develop communication skills and open hearts which
make us more loving members of our own families. We become tolerant, and
appreciate the diversity of all of the people on this earth. Perhaps that is
the biggest benefit of being nurses. We become more caring, and honorable
people.”
Patricia Bratianu, PhD, RN, RH-Ahg
May 6-12, 2018 National Nurse Week
in the United States
May 6-12, 2018 National Nurse Week
in the United States
Saturday, April 21, 2018
.
ALONG A FEW IRISH
BACK ROADS
Roads, rocks, rain -
glimpses of sunshine -
clouds in muddy mirror potholes -
wind rushing to dry off the meadows
and push away the gray mist -
so the tourists can see out the windows
of their big buses - and be nosy
about who's who in these white washed thatched homes of their great, great grandparents - who had no food
on their tables as they suffered
the Great Famine and the troubles - but now these homes are the castle
and the palace of their rich, mind you,
rich distant DNA cousins - singing and dancing here on this green - green, -
rain, rain - everyday island called Ireland.
© Andy Costello, Reflections,
2018
There’s always a catch ….
What am I missing?
The key seems to be ….
It might be in the
bottom drawer
or on the top shelf in the back,
or under the bed or in the attic ….
Is It You, God? Is It You?
Is It You, God? Is It You?
So, God - keep giving me hints ….
What am I looking for?
What am I looking for?
What am I missing?
Is It You, O God? You, O God?
Is It You, O God? You, O God?
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018
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