January 10,  2022

EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION

 

The urge to pray and the urge to sin both seem to be ways of expanding ourselves – to become greater, better, bigger, more than we feel we are.

 

When I feel small, when I feel all alone, when I feel empty, I feel less.

 

It’s then I want to feel bigger, better, richer, fuller, more than I am.

 

So I better reach out for God in prayer – who then sends me – to love my neighbor.

 

Or I do the opposite: I try to put down my neighbor, so I can use him or her as a pedestal.

 

Or I use my neighbor – or cheat my neighbor – or steal from my neighbor.

 

Paradoxically, when I pray or when I sin, I contract. I shrink. I become smaller.

 

This religious stuff is always tricky like this.

 

When I commit a real good – or should I say – real bad – sin, I end up humbled, rejected, cut down, and reduced.

 

When I reach out for God, I meet greatness - but  end up feeling small – empty in God’s presence.

 

But I also can now fit through the eye of the needle.

 

I can now become filled up on the other side with the riches of the kingdom.

 

Jesus taught all this.

 

Jesus is God – and emptied himself – when he became one of us and emptied himself even more by becoming our servant. [Cf. Philippians 2: 5b-11]

He was put down, contradicted, crucified, for what he was telling us to do – to do the same thing – but now Christ fills the universe. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2022

January  10,  2022

 

 Thought for Today

 

 

“The worst prison would be a closed heart.”

 

Pope John Paul  II

 January 9, 2022

BILLIONS TO ONE

 

 

When we listen to the Scriptures, when we hear the words,  when we notice the things that happen in the stories, we see people who know God, people who claim God, as their own, personally

 

So we have the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the God of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezechiel, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Each individual mentioned seems to know, love and serve God individually, personally.

 

Billions of people did this and are doing this – these one to – connecting to God by name relationships.

 

Only God can pull this off.

 

I say this, because when I am with a group, so often I miss so many individuals, because there all these eyes  all around me – all these different personalities – people pumping their egos up – like so many hot air balloons filling the sky.

 

But it seems that God can take us one at a time – to be with each of us – one at a time.

 

I guess a new type of relationship erupts the moment I begin to pair off with God – like a teenager, boy or girl, moving away from the crowd, to begin a possible one to one relationship, with each other – by name.

 

Next can come grown up prayer – a grown up relationship, God and me. Me and God.

 

So the God of Andrew now arrives.  It was there all along as far as God is concerned – but for me, no, not until now.

 

So God, here I am, as I am. Here is your servant.  I’m here to listen to you.

 

I’m here to hear the unique reason You made me – in the unique setting you put me in

 

Here I am, Lord.

 

Here I am, this I am that I am.

 

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2022

January  9,  2022

 

Thought for Today

 

“The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.”

 

Marcus Aurelius

January 8, 2022

 

SHAME  VS. THE REAL THING

 

God, to be honest, I do too many things out of shame.
 
Shame seems to be my predominant motive.
 
I don’t sin, because if I was caught, I’d be ashamed.
 
Too many times I’m here – not because I want to be here – but because I’d be ashamed not to be here.
 
Shame! Shame on me!
 
God what a façade I’m hiding behind.
 
Shame! Fear! Guilt!
 
These are pilots and co-pilots.
 
What should be my pilots and co-pilots are: Faith! Hope! and Charity!
 
They ought to hi-jack my plane.
 
But I don’t have the courage of my commitments and convictions
 
Better:  I’m not following my commitments or convictions.  I am following my fears.  I’m filled with guilt. I’m ashamed of my very motives – my basic being.
 
Do I then walk out?
 
Do I walk away?
 
Do I leave all?
 
I can’t.
 
Even though I’m here for the wrong reasons, people depend on me for the right reasons.
 
I told you this.
 
I’m admitting this.
 
Shame runs the engine in me.
 
God is that why you keep calling me into the desert?
 
Is that why you want me to make an Exodus?
 
Is that why you want me to cross the river – to climb the mountain – to retreat?
 
Sabbath, Exile, Exodus, are all so real, when I get right down to it.
 
40 years – 40 days – 4 days – 4 hours – 4 minutes – to let go – to be emptied.
 
Then to come out – as “Beloved” – doing all things - for all for the Lord’s reasons – the Lord’s way – clean and clear of shame.
 
Being ... doing... without shame... now that's the tricky trick ... how to be ... how to do that.
 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2022

 January  8,  2022

 

Thought for Today

 

“Two possibilities exist …
Either we are alone in the universe
or we are not.
Both are equally terrifying.”

 

Arthur C. Clarke

January 7, 2022

IMPLICATIONS

 
 
They are below the ice.
 
Everything we say has implications dripping from its words.
 
Everything we do is loaded with implications.
 
Life moves too fast – most of the time – for us to take the time – to become aware of the ocean of implications we need to navigate.
 
We speak.  We do. We remain silent. We make a phone call. Sometimes we have a sense of the implications involved in our behaviors.  We want others to respond to our words, our gifts, our actions, our signals.
 
Prayer is a great chance to listen to our heart – to stop – to hear our neediness, our poverty, our hungers, our thirsts – for recognition, for acceptance,  for inclusion, for love.
 
Prayer is a great opportunity to listen to God and his implications.
 
We were given the gift of life.
 
Our parents gave us the gift of life.
 
God gives life.
 
Implications.
 
Don’t neglect or miss them.
 
Implications: live life to the full.
 
A funeral passes by.  We see a row of cars with headlights on – following a hearse.
 
Implications: some day it will be my turn – just as it was my turn years ago – to be born – to come out of my mom – into the light of day.
 
A job – being given a job …. What are the implications, the designs, the hopes, the dreams of the boss?
 
A family – what does that imply?  Time with? Time for?  Listening?
 
Prayers:– my God, prayers are loaded with implications.
·       To forgive as I am forgiven;
·       To make sure all have daily bread;
·       To be an instrument of God’s peace.
 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2022