May 17, 2015

ASCENSION

Are there steps out of me? I don't know.

Was there an open window? I don't know. 

Jesus did you simply slip out of me -
going through the walls of my upper room 
ascending into the darkest night?  
Jesus, it seems you've disappeared. 
That image hits me the hardest. 
Did I bore you? Did I disappoint you? Jesus you were there in me in the darkest corner of my inner darkness? I remember our dark nights - when we met each other in that divine darkness  - and I discovered that you Jesus were the Light of the world. Jesus, if you've 
ascended into heaven - allow me to ascend to you right now in this dark night or prepare me to be ready for you to introduce me to your Holy Spirit. Amen! Come Holy Spirit. Come!

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

May 16, 2015

ALL IN  THE  FAMILY

All families have givers and all

families have those who are takers.

All families have someone

who won’t talk to someone.

All families have closets and bottom

drawers, containing family secrets.

All families have someone who is the

favorite and someone who is the least favorite.

All families have moments that pull us

together and moments that pull us apart.

All families pray - some openly - and some

only when problems knock on the front door.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015 

May 15, 2015

SOMETIMES I WONDER ….

Sometimes I wonder

if this marriage will last ….

Sometimes I wonder

if this yo yo will come back up….

Sometimes I wonder

if I’ll wake up in the morning.

Sometimes I wonder

if there is life after this….

Sometimes I wonder

if anyone is listening….

Sometimes I wonder

if we’ll run out of water….

Sometimes I wonder

if the big shots really know ....

Sometimes I wonder

if I'm supposed to yell, "Wait a minute!"

Sometimes I wonder,
"Where is everybody?"

Sometimes I wonder

if God notices and cares ….

Sometimes I wonder

if I am supposed to be doing this….

Sometimes I wonder

if there is a supposed to ….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

May 14, 2015

TALKING TO ONESELF

Everyone needs to talk to oneself,

          to walk with oneself,

          when walking the dog,

          when driving the car,

          along the city streets,

          walking the quiet beach,

          or in June and November woods.

Everyone needs to meet with oneself,

          to make plans,

          decisions,

          all by oneself,

          when all are talking,

          at the card party,

          or the coffee break

          or outside the church.

We all need to slip in the side door

          of ourselves,

          or our church,

          and sit in

          the afternoon darkness,

          and hear the Light,

          feel the Light

          that surrounds us.

And even then we all need moments

          to get away

          even from God,

          to hide in the cellar

          and the caves

          of our hearts,

          our secret spots

          of wilderness

          and quiet.

We all need those times

          to cry,

          to die,

          to tie things together.

Yes, we all need time to talk to ourselves,

          to rent a boat,

          to leave the beach,

          to row out beyond this world,

          to find some quiet time,

          to stop the stirring

          of the coffee cup

          and just let it sit still,

          and let the waves,

          and the then the ripple,

          and then the Calm

          surround us.

May 13, 2015

PHOTO ALBUM

Everyone of us can find ourselves

          on the pages

          of the New Testament.

It is our photo album,

          our biography,

          the story of our lives.

I am the blind man

          wanting to see,

          needing to cry out,

          “Son of David, have pity on me.”

I am the Prodigal Son

          far away from the Father,

          longing for the pleasures of distant lands,

          yet longing for the comforts of home.

I am the Pharisee, the phony,

          seeing specks in my brother or sister’s eye,

          and blind to the planks in my own.

Oh yes, at times I’m the Good Samaritan,

          helping my brothers and sisters

          lying by the side of the road.

          But so many times I find myself

          as Pontius Pilate washing my hands

          of all responsibility.

I am the lost sheep,

          the lost coin,

          forgetting I’ve been branded,

          been stamped with the sign of the cross.

I must learn to read

          the letters of Paul and John

          as if they were addressed to me,

          put in my mailbox,

          so that I’ll begin to bear

          the other’s burdens,

          and discover that God is Love.

         

I must discover that the Messiah, the Christ,

          has entered my village,

          and today wants to eat at my house. 

May 12, 2015

THE HOUSE

All of us live in this enormous house

          high on the hill,

          a house filled

          with room

          after room

          after room.

And some of us eat and sleep

          and love and work

          and wonder

          and listen

          in those rooms.

And some of us walk the corridors

          wondering what’s going on

          inside those rooms.

And some of us get angry

          at the voices

          in the rooms below,

          waking up

          in the night

          with the barking of a dog

          or the flushing of a toilet.

And some of us play there

          with cards

          or Monopoly

          or Scrabble

          with the words of life.

And some of us feel all alone

          as in a womb

          sitting in corners,

          watching the phone,

          looking out windows,

          always waiting

          and waiting

          and waiting.

But most of us are deaf; we don’t realize

          that Jesus is standing there,

          knocking on the door, saying,

          “If anyone hears me calling

          and opens the door, I will enter

          his house and have supper with him,

          and he with me.”

THE  PARACLETE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Sunday after Easter is, “The Paraclete.”

That’s the word for the Spirit given us in John 16:7 I prefer to stick with that word, “paracletos”,  because the translation of this Greek word into English and other languages - are limiting.

To translate the word “paracletos” from the original Greek into English,  I read words like Advocate, Comforter, Consoler, Helper, Presence, Defense, Encourager, the One Who Speaks for Me, the One who Helps Me Stand on my own two feet, the Inner Voice who challenges me.

Our New American Bible uses “Advocate” - to translate “paracletos”.

I picture someone in a hospital with tubes and pills and in a semi-coma - and they need someone to be there as their patient advocate - patiently - not obnoxiously - watching out for us.

I see someone in trouble with the law or their kid is - and we know a good lawyer who will be there to protect us in our troubles - to be our advocate, our paraclete

So advocate is a good word - comforter is also - because we do feel comfort with a good advocate or counselor or adviser

But Paraclete means so much more.

That’s what the Holy Spirit is - and more. The Holy Spirit is God - this Spirit of Jesus

So in these days leading up to Pentecost, this is what we are praying for: the Paraclete.

We can add, this is what we pray for, every day of our life.

That’s why I like the old prayer, “Come Holy Spirit.”

In moments of worry, that prayer is great - to be praying, consciously - semi-consciously - unconsciously underneath our worries - underneath our problems - underneath the cloud we’re under.

Come Holy Spirit.

I assume that’s the prayer to sing inwardly till it becomes second nature, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Like our breathing, most of the time we’re not conscious of our breathing - or our breath - "ruah" - the Hebrew word for “spirit”.  It’s the wind - the breath -in the air.

Or get the Taize version in Latin, “Veni Creator Spiritus.”

Or type into Google, “Veni Creator Spiritus” Taize and sing along with that chant - and make it our own - and we’ll be praying for our advocate, the Paraclete to be with us always. Amen.

As Jesus is promising in these readings in the gospel of John - especially about the Paraclete, or the advocate, or the Spirit of Jesus breaching and living in us.