February 28, 2015

LORD OF THE DANCE

God dances every dance,
the Alley Cat and the waltz,

on the world’s dance floor.

God also signals all those just

on the edge of the dance, “Come, 

please join us in the dance.”

God laughs, God signals, God calls

all to get off your chair and hop

your way right onto the dance floor. 

God urges all to be full partners

linked to each other in this great

big celebration called the dance of life.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015

JUDGING  ONE’S  WEAVING

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INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Friday in the First Week of Lent is, “Judging One’s Weaving.”

I noticed in a Lenten Reflections book, an interesting comment by Jacques Maritain for this Friday of the First Week of Lent. [1]

In talking about judging each other, Maritain says that everyone judges everyone - more or less.

He adds people notice our limitations, deficiencies, errors. We all make mistakes. We are noticed. We are judged on our behaviors and our personalities.

He adds about others, “We can render judgment concerning ideas, truths, or errors; good of bad actions: character, temperament and what appears to be a person’s interior disposition.”

He’s saying we are judging others on a regular basis. We think things and then inside our brain say the following about others,  “That’s nice what he’s doing.” “That’s interesting what she’s wearing.” “That is smart.” “That is dumb.” “That’s crazy.” “That’s wonderful.” "Great move."

Then he adds this significant statement: “But we are utterly forbidden to judge the innermost heart, that inaccessible center where the person day after day weaves his or her own fate and ties the bonds binding him or her to God. When it comes to that, there is only one thing to do, and that is to trust in God. And that is precisely what love for our neighbor prompts us to do.”

Read that over and over again - just that quote - till you get it. It could lead to dropping the rocks we want to throw at others. [Cf. John 8: 1-11; Luke 6:36-38]

THE WEAVER 

That last comment led me to think about all the people – 95 % women – whom I see crocheting, knitting, with threads – cotton – or whatever they use - just sitting there on couches, corner chairs, benches, trains, planes, beaches, bleachers, working on their knitting projects.

That lead me to think about weavings and cloth covers on walls, chairs, baby blankets, and all sorts of crafts. We have all see all those works of art that are everywhere.

THE WEAVING

Then there is the weaving that is me.

I see some of it. God sees all of it.

It’s me. It’s my life. It’s my fate. It’s my destiny.

It’s the work of art that is me – with are my threads.

THE INNER ROOM WITH THE INNER ALTAR

In today’s gospel Jesus talks about an altar. That’s here in Matthew 5:20-26.  Later on in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks about an inner room – that nobody sees but us.  Following up on Jacques Maritain I like to imagine that inner room is like a little chapel and that’s where that altar is.

And going back to the weaving that is me forming me - I assume that one of the goals of Lent is to study that weaving – judging that weaving that is me.

So I’m assuming that’s where my weaving is – in that deep secret inner room that each of us has – where there is an altar.

CONCLUSION

Here we are at that altar this morning.

We come here and see that altar  - we come here to offer ourselves – our gifts – Christ – to God our Father – but we see these selfish designs and experiences – especially  stuff we don’t like about ourselves – especially a hurt – a disaster with our brother or sister that calls for forgiveness.

We deal with that during Mass – we make choices to love and forgive – then we come to the altar for more love and communion with everyone.

We do this knowing there is fullness of redemption with Christ. 

Amen.


NOTES


[1] Jacques Maritain, page 120, in A Lenten Sourcebook: The Forty Days, Book One, Ash Wednesday to the Monday of the Third Week of Lent, Edited by J. Robert Baker, Evelyn Kaehle, Peter Mazar, LTP Liturgy Training Publications

February 27, 2015

SELF TEST # 12

Piano, harp, flute,

tuba, trombone,

violin, bagpipe,

drums, drums, drums,

who am I – even

though we different,

we can make music

together and discover

who we are in the

sounds of music.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015

February 26, 2015

SELF TEST # 11

X wants black and white conversations,

I’m right, you’re wrong. Give me a yes

or a no answer. Please – just tell me.

Y wants red or blue, heart of head conversations.

You coming at me with analysis, thought.
I’m coming at you with impressions, feelings.

Z wants the whole box of crayons and colors.

It’s complicated. It has shades. It has implications.

A lifetime of slow understandings and quick misunderstandings.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

February 25, 2015

MIND  NUDGES

I don’t know about you, but I get mind nudges all the time.

Clean! Dust! Listen! Tell!  Shut up! Don’t go there! Hurry!

Speak up? You’re being a jerk! Quick! Pray! Please, say,

“Thank you!” Start the ball rolling! Call!  Well, find out!

Make a list! Go to church! Don’t play games! Try again later.

Buy low. Sell high. It’s always the money. Practice! Practice!

Practise what you preach. Stay calm. Find out! Less TV.

Go to bed  earlier. Get out of bed earlier. Say, "Help.”

I don’t know about you, but I get mind nudges all the time.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015

THE POWER  AND  THE 

WEAKNESS  OF  WORDS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Tuesday in Lent  is, “The Power and the Weakness of Words.”

At least that’s the thought that hit me from today’s two readings – as I try to put a thought into words.

What are your thoughts when you think about words, and sentences, and “The Power and the Weakness of Words.”

FIRST READING

Today’s First Reading brings out the power of words.  The author – Second Isaiah – talks about the power of God’s Word  coming out of God’s mouth.

He’s saying in so many words, that God’s word is like the rain and the snow falling down from the heavens – watering the earth – making the land fruitful – bringing forth seeds and wheat – which in turn that brings forth bread to be eaten.

The farmer knows all this very well.

GOSPEL

Today’s gospel talks about the power of words – as in prayer for daily bread – as in forgiveness – as in praising God. Today’s gospel talks about the power of non-forgiveness. It can get us thinking about the refusal to forgive others and how that can boomerang back at us or on us.

Today’s gospel also talks the weakness of words – that is, when words are mere babble – that is, empty words. Babble is not prayer. Babbling at others is not conversation or communion and communication. And if we babble in our conversations with others - our words with each other become – as with God – empty nothings – non-creative sounds and mutterings.

But words that are thought out, prayers that are thought out, words that are meant to convey a message, those words have power. Compliments – or their opposite,  curses – have power, Babble – mutterings don’t.

So the thought of this homily is to become aware of our words – mean our words – think about what we are saying and realize when we are mere babble.

EXAMPLES

The title of my homily is, “The Power and the Weakness of Words.”

What are your thoughts about words?

Think! Filter! Consider! Be aware of words! Listen!

Reflect upon how listening and not listening affects others.

Reflect upon how what we say can help or hurt another.

How many times have we been talking heavy with someone, one to one, and they say, “I always wished my dad would have given me one, ‘I love you!’ while he was alive.”  Or, “I am forever grateful for our 3^rd year High School teacher who said something wonderful to me and it changed my life.”

My nephew once said to me, “Uncle Andy, something you said in a letter to me some 10 years ago – really helped me in my life. Thank you.”

Speak up! Speak out!  Something we might say, might help someone for the rest of their lives.

Shut up! Be quiet. Not saying something that we were about to say, might prevent hurting someone for the rest of their lives.

Realize that silence can be golden and silence can be like one of those kitchen sink wash cloths our mom rubbed our mouth with when we were kids.

CONCLUSION

We’re hearing from the book of Genesis in our first readings.  We heard a week or so ago that we are made in the image and likeness of God. God’s words are powerful and effective – creative.

May our good words make a difference in the lives of those around us. May our destructive words – disappear from our minds and our mouths. Amen.

February 24, 2015

REVISION

People sometimes get criticized

for revising their story – their history.

Didn’t you know that’s reality?

That’s life. That’s growth. That's significant.

We need to keep writing and re-writing and

re-reading our story – and keep noticing

what we missed in the first reading. In fact,

one of the great blessings of family is to ask

each other about what it was like back then?

And then to say over and over again,

“Oh that’s what you were going through.

Well, I wish I knew that about you back then.”

And the other person says, “You didn’t know?  

I didn’t know. I didn’t have a clue

about what I was going through

back then, but I do now. Want to know?"

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015