VOCATION SUNDAY

This Sunday - the 4th Sunday of Easter - we’re to promote, “Vocations!”

To prepare for this Sunday, last week I pushed vocations for religious life as a Sister or a Nun. I put in this blog a couple of short pieces on “Sisters” etc.

This week I’m putting in a few pieces about the priesthood – especially the Redemptorists.

In other weeks I’ll push the vocation of marriage, writer, Peace Corps, teacher, public service, etc. etc. etc.

This week think priesthood.

There is a shortage of priests in many dioceses.

Think giving one’s life as a priest!

And while you’re at it, think Redemptorist. We’re mostly priests, but we have brothers as well. We have 5,500 members and we're in 77 countries around the world. Check our websites.

Here in the United States, if you’re smart, quick, good looking, talented, brilliant, a good athlete, love God, want to serve, want to live in community, are male, are willing to serve in the Caribbean, in the Southeast or the Northeast of the United States, as a priest or a brother, please contact our Redemptorist web site: The Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province.

If you live in the mid-west or western part of the United States check out The Redemptorists - Denver Province website. You don’t have to be as sharp and as good looking as the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province to join them.

Just kidding. And that’s another quality: you have to have a sense of humor.

To be human - is to have a sense of humor. It's part of humility and honesty, etc. You need to be able to laugh at yourself and life - and religion - everything.

To be human - to be normal, is to want to be married to a wonderful spouse, to have a family, to see your grandkids.

To be crazy - is to choose celibacy.

Jesus didn't say it that way, but check out Matthew 19:12. Woooo!

And I’ve often said rather bluntly, “If you can hack celibacy, this is a great way to do life.”

I joined the Redemptorists because we live and work as a Community.

I joined the Redemptorists to become a priest and serve in Brazil. Never got assigned there. Others thought otherwise. Instead, my first assignment was to be a parish priest at Most Holy Redeemer Parish. It was in the East Village on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, N.Y. during the Hippie Revolution (1967-1969).

Besides our vows of poverty and chastity, we have a vow of obedience. You can state your preferences, but doing the mission of our Congregation in the world is primary – so that’s one more way to die to self.


It’s a long formation process – and in time – folks know and you know what you’re good at – where you have to be challenged – and the variety of ministry assignments in so many different places is a great plus.



Today there is a lot more personal input in assignments than when I took my first vows in 1960 at the age of 20.


It’s been a great trip so far: parish priest, retreat house work, road preaching, teaching and training future Redemptorists, and right now parish priest again. I’ve been stationed in Pennsylvania, New York, Washington DC, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Maryland, so far.

It's been a great life. I have met so many people and families that I feel part of - and gradually learned why a priest is called "Father!" (Cf. Mark 10:28-30; Matthew 19:10 to 20:28; Luke 18: 28-30).

More!

Andy Costello, CSSR

April 11, 2008

A REDEMPTORIST


A Redemptorist,
still deciding to proclaim
with his life, “Jesus still walks the beach
and calls people to, ‘Come follow me!’”

A Redemptorist,
still deciding to proclaim
with his life, “I am a member
of every family. I am your brother.”

A Redemptorist,
still deciding to proclaim
with his life, “God is! God listens!
I am here as one who listens.”

A Redemptorist,
still deciding to proclaim
with his life, “All of us down deep
are hungry and thirsty for Copious Redemption”

A Redemptorist,
still deciding to proclaim
with his life, “God is daily bread
and a banquet, here and hereafter. Amen!”

© Andy Costello,

Reflections, 2008

THE DEATH OF A PRIEST

Weary, weak, worn out, tired.
He lived a good long life….
Lots of words spoken,
lots of sins buried within him,
lots of people helped,
lots of people visited,
lots of Christ moments....
It was his turn to die.
Phone calls to distant cities,
telling people he died.
Tears and prayers
from friends who leaned on him.
It was a celebration,
because even though he
didn’t have kids,
he was a father.*

* Matthew 23:9

© Andy Costello,
Reflections, 2008

PRIESTS’ PRAYER

Lord,
we stand so often
at your altar praying
for others:
for the sick and the suffering,
for those about to begin a marriage,
for those about to buried in the grave.

Yet, Lord,
when do we really stop
to pray for each other,
for all our brother priests
all around the world?

So Lord,
in this moment of prayer,
in this moment of quiet peace,
we pray for all your priests:
the young, the old
and all those in between.

We pray for those
who feel the burden
of expectations that are too high
or morale that is too low.
We pray that all priests will be
what our titles call us to be:
preacher, prophet, man of prayer,
bridge, father, a servant
who dares to care.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus!

© Andy Costello,

Reflections, 2008

VOCATION PRAYER

Christ,
carpenter, fisherman, farmer,
carve me, catch me, plant me,
so I can also be:
carpenter, fisherman, planter.
Amen!

© Andy Costello,
Reflections, 2008,

Painting by Rembrandt

(1606-1669)

PRIESTS

Priests: Bringers of the New Bread,
waiters announcing, "This is your table!"

Knowing that water can become wine,
and wine can become blood,
blood poured out in giving one’s life for the sheep.
Tired too many times,
trying to find lost sleep....
Hearing knocking,

reluctantly going down to open up a door
for those asking, seeking,
knocking in their dark night,
wanting bread - wanting money - wanting more.
A sinner eating with sinners.
Priests: Bringers of the full basket of forgiveness.
Washers of other's feet -- often not willing
to allow Jesus to wash our feet.
“If he only knew ....”
Countless hours
sitting in a rectory office trying to listen,
trying to break Emmaus type words,
like bread for those
wanting to walk away from it all.
Aging Fathers wanting Prodigal Sons,

and Older Brothers, to sit together

at the family table and enjoy the banquet of life.

Women coming to the tomb,

expecting emptiness, only to experience

the Morning Risen Christ.
Priests: Warners about the hungry,
about Lazarus at our gate.
Priests: Giving up at times,
wanting to go back to fish for fish -
for something we can really see,
till the Risen Jesus appears
and calls us once again
to feed his sheep, to feed his lambs,
and to answer his question three times,
seventy times seven times, all our lives,
“Do you love me more?”

© Andy Costello,

Reflections, 2008

Picture on top:
Father Alec  Reid
1931-2013
Ordained September 22, 1957
Picture of Father Alec ministering
to a solder shot in the shootings
in Northern Ireland

RETREAT

A
time
to just sit
under the tree of self,
just to have some time
to be quiet by the water,
to think, to reflect, to pray,
to realize I’m sitting upon roots,
to be grateful for all those
who grew me to this moment,
to feel the trunk of one’s life
against one’s back,
to feel the strength of that life,
to see the good times and the bad,
the sickness and the health,
to look up and see one’s branches,
all those people we reached out to in our life,
and then to see all the other trees,
all those other people we moved with
in the wind and in the rain,
in the cold and in the heat of life,
all those in whose shade we sat,
and then to remember with tears of joy and sorrow,
those who have died, fallen like leaves,
but we, knowing with faith,
have risen to new life with Christ,
the resurrection
and the life. Amen.

© Andy Costello,

Reflections, 2008