STEPS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 14^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Steps.”

FIRST READING

In today’s first reading from Genesis 28: 10-22a,  there is mention of a stairway to heaven. It’s also called Jacob’s Ladder.

In a dream Jacob sees a stairway that rests on the ground - and its top reaches to the heavens. He sees God’s messengers going up and down on that staircase.

METAPHOR OR IMAGE

In various religions and philosophies - the ladder or steps or a staircase has often been a metaphor of growth - a step at a time.

We've all heard teachers, coaches, parents, urge us to be better, climb higher. We've all heard the cry, "Excelsior!" I love it that it means, "Excell!" - but it also means wood shavings that served as stuffing for matresses. To me the laugh is, when striving for greatness, be aware of being humble and not being inflated while climbing the top step to receive the first prize for winning it all.

Jesus put it this way, "The first shall be last!" 

When his disciples wanted to be on his right and left in the kingdom, Jesus warned them about wanting to be great. Rather strive to serve others. [Cf. Matthew 20:21-28.]

So steps and striving for holiness is great - but sometimes the silent secret is to step down or into the background.

I have a collection of these various steps in my work in teaching spirituality.

CLASSIC 3 STEPS: PURGATIVE, ILLUMINATIVE, UNITIVE WAY

The class 3 steps are the so called: Purgative, Illuminative and Unitive way.

We clean out the room. We fill it with food. We invite God or others in for communion.  The first step in growth is cleansing ourselves of sin or bad habits. The second step is taking on the positive after cleansing ourselves of the negatives and then comes the third step: union with God. [1]

JOHN CLIMACUS - 30 RUNG LADDER

In Eastern Orthodox Spirituality one finds the famous John Climacus and The Ladder of Divine Ascent. John Climacus was a 7^th Century Christian monk on Mount Sinai.

It has 30 steps. The first 7 steps present 7 general virtues to climb for a richer ascetic or spiritual life. The next 19 steps deal with overcoming vices and the corresponding virtues to acquire. The next 4 are the higher virtues that help us reach the top. The top rung - Love - Agape - is beyond prayer and stillness and apathy. 

Check it out on Google and look at the pictures of angels helping people to climb that ladder and demons shooting arrows and trying to pull people off the ladder. [2]

GUIGO II - THE LADDER TO PARADISE - 4 RUNGS

Check out Guigo II, a Carthusian monk - who died either 1188 or 1193  - who wrote about the 4 step method of prayer - that has been taught in many retreat houses and conferences on prayer. He called it The Ladder to Paradise [Scala Paradiso or Scala Claustralium].  Guigo II starts with Jacob’s ladder in today’s first reading and says this is a good way to pray:

·       Lectio - Read the sacred scripture

·       Meditatio - Think about what you read

·       Oratio - Pray, talk to God about what you’re thinking - what hits you.

·       Contemplatio - Become quiet, let it sink in, deepen. [3]

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Many people have heard about the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. [4]

I remember someone talking about the 12 steps that led up to Dr. Bob’s house in  Akron Ohio. It’s true but I don’t know if they were in the original house.

Since the number 12 is key to the program, there are 12 steps leading to the front door of Dr. Bob’s home.

I did find the following in some notes about Dr. Bob’s house on 855 Ardmore Avenue in Akron, Ohio. “The original house had 11 corner slats in the floor of the dining room and 13 in the living room and now there are 12 in both rooms …. This change was made as a labor of love by another one of the volunteers at the home.”

Here are the 12 Steps. They are also used for other addictions, food, drugs, sex, etc.

1.    We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.

2.    Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3.    Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4.    Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5.    Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6.    Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7.    Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8.    Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9.    Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10.          Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11.          Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12.          Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

THE 8 SECRETS OF HAPPINESS

I’ve been working on a book entitled, “The 8 Secrets of Happiness.”

I’ll get it done some day. I put a lot of work into it already, but I’m not rushing - because I have other books in progress and there are already many books on happiness.

CONCLUSION

The idea behind the image or metaphor of steps or ladders is to get higher, better. 

When I was doing a lot of work in spirituality I noticed that the key noun after the verb, "is" is "way" - as in road, path, steps, climb, movement...."  As in Spirituality is a way to ...."

Robert Frost features the word "road" - as in "The Road Less Traveled [Cf. M. Scott Peck's, best seller The Road Less Travelled" - or Two roads diverged in a yellow wood."

Taoism - pronounced in English "dowism" - has at its root the word "tao" meaning way.

Buddhism talks about the 8 fold path.

Today I'm stressing the image of steps.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


NOTES: Drawing on top by Escher

[1] Cf. Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill; The Varieties of Religious Experience

[2] John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine  Ascent (The Classics of Western Spirituality) Translator: Norman Russell

[3] The Three Ages of the Interior Life - Reginald Garrigou Lagrange, Chapter 15


[4] Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book, 4th Edition

July 6, 2015

JUST PAPER CUTS

Ten years after he died, a person in that church

finally got what their priest once said in a sermon, when he described some listeners as getting “just paper cuts” when they read 

the Bible - and not even those most of the time. 

But that priest added, “But all things will change - that day - when they realize Jesus is talking about them when they read Matthew 13: 1-23 

or what Hebrews 4: 12-13 is getting at. Then 

it’s more than just paper cuts - a lot more.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

A  PROPHET’S  IMPACT

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B] is, “A Prophet’s Impact.” [Make impact gesture]

This Sunday - next Sunday - and the Sunday after that - we’re going to hear from 3 Jewish prophets - of the Jewish scriptures: Ezekiel today, next week Amos, and the week after that, Jeremiah.

A prophet speaks up. A prophet challenges us. A prophet calls us to be better. A prophet calls us to be honest with each other. A prophet calls us to be in touch with God. A prophet calls us to justice, fairness, and to be a voice for the voiceless. A prophet calls us to be a keeper - to be our brother and sister and the earth’s keeper.

A prophet gets killed - because when he or she speaks up - sometimes we want to kill them. Their words can feel like they are made of sandpaper or razor blades.

TODAY’S PROPHET: EZEKIEL

Today’s prophet is Ezekiel - a very challenging and fascinating character.

If you have a Bible at home that’s handy, go to the prophet Ezekiel and just flip through the chapters - just reading the headings.

Don’t read from Chapter 1 to Chapter 48 - straight through.

Like reading a magazine or Reader’s Digest, just pick and choose what hits you as you page through its content.

Like chapter 2, “The Vision of the Scroll.” Ezekiel is told to eat - EAT- the scriptures. Chew on them. Digest them. We become what we eat. Great image. Make these words and images our own.

Like chapter 12 he does a mime of being someone who is packing their bags - and getting out of there. My mom used to do that when we were kids. When we were fighting or driving her crazy - she would go to the closet, take our her coat, put it on, grab an empty suitcase and head for the door. The 4 of us would try to stop her and cry, “Mom, no, don’t go.”

I’m the youngest of four and I didn’t know this was fake till my early 30’s. The other 3 knew it was a game - and it worked.

You might stop at chapter 16 and read the allegory of the girl. When she was born she was dropped in an open field and left to die - covered with blood and after birth. God says that He came along and picked her up. He washed her and cared for her. She grew up. In her teenage years, she ran away from God - and really messed up. God came along and rescued her again. And God provided her with the best food, clothes, jewelry, and she  became a queen. And once more she messed up becoming infatuated with her own beauty. She became a prostitute and on and on and on - and God was with her all the time and kept on welcoming her back. So too Israel.

That’s a good way to read Ezekiel. That’s how to be challenged by Ezekiel. In chapter 37 he says we’re like a dead skeleton - laying in a field in a valley with all kinds of dead skeletons and bones.  Then God sends his breath and his word calling all of us who are dead - back to life.

And surprise there is resurrection and new life, here and hereafter.

A PROPHET’S IMPACT

Today’s first reading ends with these words, “And whether they heed or resist - for they are a rebellious house - they shall know that a prophet has been among them.” [Ezekiel 2:5]

In today’s gospel we heard about how Jesus was rejected by his own home town.

And at the end of his life - his crucifixion - his death on the cross - we see him paying the ultimate price for being a prophet - for speaking up - for challenging us: being killed by the mob.

BAPTISM

The next time you’re at a baptism, notice the 2 anointing’s with oil.

The first one takes place early on - when someone - usually a baby - is anointed in their neck, voice box, Adam or Eve’s Apple - sometimes while screaming. The second one takes place after the water being poured over the person’s head.  The baptized person is anointed to fulfill 3 calls in life: to be a prophet, to be a  priest and to be a king or queen.

I like that moment. I like to rub it in.

First the call to be a prophet - that is to scream out for fairness - justice - awareness of the other ones.

I like to say that kids know about fairness - especially when they scream for their piece of cake - their seat in the car - their turn on the ride - what time they have to go to bed.

The number one cry of the prophet is: “It’s not fair.”

Read the pope’s new encyclical on our earth or the big document of Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes.  Both are crying out for fairness on how we treat one another - and how we care about each other - and our home, the earth.

The other two anointing’s are that all of us are called to be priests and kings and queens.

Priests: all of us - men and women - are called to stand there each morning and thank God for a new day - and to look on the altar - the wide plains of creation - and see the round sun and earth and universe - and all human circles and cells - and offer all up to God the Creator in Thanksgiving. Hear God say of all, “This is my body, this is my blood, I’m giving myself and my creations to you. Take and eat. Take and drink. Enjoy your daily bread and daily wine. Pause each morning to attend that daily Mass - with the Mass of humanity.

Kings: that’s the word used in the baptismal ritual - but it’s also queens - and we’re called to see everyone in that light - to honor each other - starting with the little ones. Not having children of my own, I first heard someone talk about his majesty the baby - her majesty the baby. Parents, teachers, care takers, grandparents, serve those little ones - and hopefully they pick up all that love - so they can follow suit.  I’ve always heard about the kind of King Jesus was - one who washed feet and fed the poor.  Now that’s service.

TODAY: PROPHETS

Today I just want to focus on the theme of prophets - and our call to be prophets. 

Who have been the people in our story who were prophets? Who have challenged us?

To be a prophet is to face the tough stuff - to challenge ourselves and others to be Christians - to challenge our kids to get to church - not out of obligation - but because we need folks in our world - who are salt and light - and love. We need folks at work and coffee breaks to speak the truth with love and grace.

To be a prophet is to be someone who gives one’s life and energy for the family and for the human family. Think of all those folks who volunteer and do scouting and keep organizations that serve others rolling smoothly.

CONCLUSION

These are just a few threads of thought in what it is to be a prophet.

One hope - when they are talking about us in the funeral parlor or the meal after the funeral, hopefully some will say of us in so many words things like this:

·       “A prophet has been among us.”

·       “A generous person has been with us.”

·       “A giver was here.”

·       “She could challenge gossip and unfair comments so smoothly.” 

·       “Fairness was her middle name.”

·       “He made so many significant impacts on my life.”

July 5th, 2015

STRAWBERRY

Have you ever really looked

at a fresh strawberry - up close

and personal? So beautiful and

so interesting. How about someone

with acne - up close and personal,

so beautiful and so interesting?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

July 4th, 2015

FREEDOM

To move into the kingdom of God,

one moves in for many motives,
but once inside, one has to work
and cooperate with grace so as
to become
free of compulsions,

free of guilt that cripples,
and slowly become

filled with joy,

filled with a childlike spirit,

filled with love that washes feet,

love that doesn’t look at clocks,

love that doesn’t stop,

love that knows one is touching

the tassel of Christ and one is healed.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

THE  CHURCH: 

THE ONE  AND THE MANY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of St. Thomas, the Apostle, is, “The Church: The One and The Many.”

When I read today’s first reading from Ephesians, I began thinking how we are all connected - like different bricks - that make up the wall of a building - or a sidewalk.  I’ve been to various churches where they have a wall or a walk with people’s names in it - for a fund raiser. All those bricks and stones. They are connected - hopefully like a church - like a home.

When I read today’s gospel from John 20:24-29,  I thought about how each of us has our own unique personality - especially in contrast to all those around us.

Put together we are both: the one and the many.

That’s life - the me - the individual called, “me” - or “I” and I have a name. For example, “Thomas - the apostle Thomas.” Yet Thomas was not alone. He was one of the 12.

That’s life, the one and the many.

That’s life - the me and the we - I am part of a family. I can’t arrive on the planet alone. I need a mom - and a dad - a we - and we become three - with me -  then four, five, six or even more as they joked years ago - if we’re Catholic.

The call of the church is that each of us are called to be disciples, to be apostles, to be church - to be a many -  and to be the fullest me I can be.

And both the we and the me are called to be united and not divided.

SCRIPTURES

Listen to today’s first reading again:

Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God, 
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

As Alfred Lord Tennyson put it in his poem, Ulysses, “I am part of all that I have met.”

I am my father and mother’s genes and DNA. My dad planted the seed. My mom knitted me together in her womb - in her sewing room.

If we look at the scriptures, the Bible, we hear all about lots of individuals - but we also hear about groups - families. There’s Adam and Eve, there’s their boys, Cain and Abel.

There’s Martha. There’s Mary. They had a brother named Lazarus.

There’s Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They have cousins and the people of the small town of Nazareth.

Sometimes those neighbors are one; sometimes they are divided.

LOOKING AT LIFE

Looking at life, it’s important that we go it together - but it’s also good to go it alone at times - like taking a walk alone around town or in a park with our dog or with ourselves. We see the morning dew and the morning light. We see the evening sunset. We see the full moon and the sliver of a quarter or half silver moon at other times.

We walk the morning beach at Ocean City by ourselves and watch the sand pipers and waves hitting the beach and the sun rise in the east. We feel a smile on our face. We are alone - but we don’t feel alone because we sense God and the other people in our lives.  We also recall and remember the evening before  when we walked that beach with our beloved - or maybe with a grand kid - or if a spouse died a while back -  we are still walking with them holding a memory or walking hand in hand with them on this same beach quite a few months or years ago.

We might be the first footsteps on the beach that morning or one of ten thousand footsteps on the beach that evening.

The one and the many.

THE ONE

I am a one - with my personality - with my story - my history - my successes and my failures - my stars and my scars.

Who knows my story?

I should know it for starters. It’s good to write one’s memoirs. It’s good to tell our stories - what it was like.

It’s good to bring to prayer - our joyful, sorrowful, glorious and light bearing mysteries.

It’s good to say the rosary with our own mysteries in mind: annunciations, visitations, births, presentations, findings, crosses, assumptions, deaths, weddings, the whole mix.

I am a story. I am an autobiography. I am a library.

I need to read me.

Who else reads me?

I love the saying,  “When an old person dies, it’s like a library burnt down.”

Tell your story to someone - soon. 

Listen to each other’s stories - soon.

Who am I?

Does anyone know?

I like the stories of the apostles: Peter the one who could put his foot in his mouth and also in Jesus’ footsteps.

Andrew the one who brings food and people to Jesus.

James and John - young men filled with passion, fire and fury - but John could also be a poet.  

Thomas: the one with his dogmatic doubts - who had the courage to voice them and forever give us an example of someone who has them.

Don’t we all?

That’s me - but what about the so many on the planet who haven’t told us their gospel yet.

In the gospels we’re told to love one another.  A great way to do that is to listen to one another - and give back another’s chapter and verse.

THE MANY

And the planet is filled with many different and distinct others - like bricks that make up a wall or a house - and we don’t know them.

Check out the persons who are your neighbor or next to you on a plane.

I once was on a plane and I was on the 2 seater side. A blond was sitting next to me - but we didn’t talk to each other till the announcement came on - “Please fasten your seat belt! We are about to begin our descent.”  For some reason in that short last 15 minutes, I got to know this lady - not big time - about a book she was reading and a book she was writing. 

I ended up giving her some comments about getting published. We exchanged e-mails and I got to know someone I never knew before. She doesn’t live in Maryland, but I recently went up to see her in Johns Hopkins Hospital when she was getting an operation two months ago.

How many people in your life have you met in that way?

Just one of the many….

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is “The Church: the One and the Many.”

The call of Jesus is to get to know his “I” - Jesus who told Thomas, “I am the way the truth and the life.” Jesus is the one who Thomas discovered is, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus is the one to have a one to one relationship.

The call of Jesus is also that we enter into the Many - to be in Community with each other - communion with each other - holy communion with each other - here and hereafter. Amen.

Painting on top: Doubting Thomas by Caravaggio

July 3, 2015

MARRIAGE - 

25 YEARS LATER

She married him to remold him

into her own image and likeness.

He married her because she

seemed like the one who

would take care of all those

things he didn’t like to do -

those things his mommy always

did for him - before she died.

So …. What happened?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

On top a painting by Edvard Munch
1899, Aase and Harald Norregaard,
in Nasjonalmuseet for Kunst, 
Arkitektur og Design  (Norway - Oslo).
The painting has nothing to do with 
my reflection. I just liked the painting.