May 5, 2017

Make a wish and 

blow out the candle.

The Forger - Video - NYTimes.com

▶ 16:20

https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/.../the-forger.html

Oct 2, 2016

As a teenager, Adolfo Kaminsky saved thousands of lives byforging passports to help children flee the Nazis 

I put the above at the end of a blog piece I did for April 27, 2017.

This  piece called, "The Forger" is  from The New York Times 

It could be missed - and I think everyone should view it.

So I'm putting The Forger up front.

As the dentist says, "Tap Tap!"

Tap the box to view the video.

Take the time to watch this piece 10 times.

Each time you'll see something new!

What am I doing for others today?

May 4, 2017

LANDSCOPE

Our daily landscape or landscope

affects and effects us everyday….

The pause, the look, the scanning

of the morning sky as we step out

to our outside…. It’s a new day today.

Jesus said to see the birds of the air

and the lilies of the field, fig trees and

fruit trees and what’s going on in the

marketplace. See the funeral going by.

It could be a widow’s only son.

And make sure we see Lazarus

at our door - as well as the poor -

and the child who needs our attention.

Listen to those - nobody listens to….

Touch the lives - of the Untouchables.

See the broken bread people. Look

into their eyes. Have a  sense of the

rich red blood of Jesus - like wine -

flowing through the stories of

each person we meet today. "Hi!"

Bring them all home this evening as

we celebrate supper with each other.

Let us pray with and for them before we

fall asleep at the end of our day and we

turn off the lights of our daily landscape.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

TWO  NEW  TESTAMENT 

CHARACTERS NAMED PHILIP

INTRODUCTION

The title of my thoughts for today is, “Two New Testament Characters Named Philip.”

Today is the feast day of the first one - Philip the Apostle - and the second is Philip in the Acts of the Apostles - called, “Philip the Evangelist.”

I going to talk about both of them because both of them brought people to Jesus. I’m skipping James - the other person in today’s feast day. There are supposedly 3 James in the Early Church mix of characters.

I would like to stress that that’s our call: to bring people to Jesus.

THE PHILIP IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Philip the Apostle gets some unique recognition in the Gospel of John.

In Chapter One of John he’s is called by Jesus - meets him - follows Jesus. His first step is to head for Nathaniel and bring him to Jesus.

The Philip-Nathanael situation goes a bit like Andrew meeting Jesus and then bringing his brother Peter to Jesus.

This Philip is from the same town as Peter and Andrew and their stories begin with the moment they meet Jesus.

It seems in John - when someone meets Jesus they want to tell others about Jesus. They want to introduce other people to Jesus.

Then in Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John, it’s Philip who is approached by some Greeks who want to meet Jesus. Then Philip does the introduction. And notice in this Chapter 14 story about Philip - which is today’s gospel - Andrew’s name shows up in the mix and the  meeting as well.

And notice Philip asks Jesus to show him the Father - which is a major theme in the Gospel of John.

If you want good stuff for prayer, it’s right there - wanting to meet Jesus and wanting to know what the Father is like and who He is.

Ask for that in prayer.

PHILIP IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

And in the Acts of the Apostles we have the so called, “Philip the Evangelist.”

He does the same thing that Philip the Apostle does - this bringing someone to Jesus.

This Philip runs into an Ethiopian - a eunuch and an officer in the court of the Queen of Ethiopia.  He’s the chief treasurer.  He’s in a chariot. He’s on his way home. And he’s reading the prophet Isaiah.

And Philip gets the inspiration to run over to the chariot and ask the occupant if he knows what he’s reading. “Do you understand?”

And the Ethiopian gives the great answer, “How can I understand, unless I have someone to guide me?”

That scene becomes the name of a good book on Bible reading: Unless Some Man Show Me [1962]. It’s by Alexander Jones.

The Ethiopian invites Philip to get into the chariot and Philip introduces this man to Jesus and surprise he baptizes him right then and there when they go by some water - along the road.

I wonder if that quick baptism enters into some Early Church discussions about when to baptize.

I love the line, “And the eunuch never saw him again but went away rejoicing.”

THOUGHTS

We’re called to introduce people to Jesus.

Think about the people who got you to visit Jesus in the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel or any church - or the people who ran Bible study programs - say on Isaiah - and introduced you to Jesus.

I think of all the places I preached  - where I preached to a lot of people I never saw again.  I also think of all the people who gave me Jesus.

CLOSING EXAMPLE

This is getting too long, so let me close with a quick example.

I was about to take a 3 hour car ride, so I looked for something for the car tape system. This was before CD’s.

I grabbed a cassette I had not listened to in 25 years.  Surprise. As I’m listening to it - I hear this great example - that I used in a sermon - but I thought it was my idea - that I was original.

Surprise I stole it without knowing it.

I just noticed in yesterday’s news that Marine La Pen  in France is being accused of plagiarizing parts of a speech by Francois Fillon.

Having discovered I borrowed something from someone else, without realizing it, I have sympathy.  Let’s plagiarize the Word of God, the word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Then let us bring Jesus to others. Amen. 

May 3, 2017

APPROACH

There’s different ways to approach

one’s father - and every kid ought

to know the games they play - that

they approach their parents differently -

depending on the time of day - what

the issue is - and what have you.

So too how we approach teachers, spouses,

friends,  coaches, the boss and our God.

But the biggest learning is to learn

that there are different approaches.

Could I have done this better? Could I

have asked: “Dad what's going on with you?" 

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

SAINT  ATHANASIUS

INTRODUCTION

Today is the feast of Saint Athanasius - so a few words about him on his feast day - May 2^nd.  

His dates are 295 to May 2, 373 - 78 years of life. Nice....

He’s born in Alexandria, Egypt - which had a lot of Christians in his time. It had a great catechetical school - and it was a central educational center. Numbers of Christians back then in that city - I’m not that scholarly.  Right now Egypt has 92 million people - 10% who are Christian.  270,000 are Catholics - and the pope went to see them a week ago or so. I was trying to find out if he went to Alexandria - where there was a bombing of a Coptic Church about 10 years ago. It looks like he just went to Cairo. I assume security was tough, tough stuff.

So Athanasius was Egyptian for starters - but he was part of the Egyptian culture of the 300’s.

In the Church - it was the time of trying to pull together the great teachings about Christ - and the Trinity.

Cardinal Newman - said that Athanasius was key in conveying further along the way,  “the sacred truths of Christianity.” 

The Christ born of Mary - the Christ who walked our roads - breathed our air - healed and helped people - the Christ crucified on the Cross - the Risen Christ of Easter -  was and always was, God and will always be God. So too the 3rd person in God - the Holy Spirit.

So our religion is all about hearing about, meeting God in person - in the 3 persons in the Holy Trinity.

Our religion has doctrines and creeds - but the key experience is to enter into a relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

SUGGESTION - THEOLOGY AT OUR FINGER TIPS

I’m sure you’ve heard in a dozen homilies the Orthodox as well as Eastern Catholic way of making the sign of the cross. These 3 fingers are brought together at their tips: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then the pinky and 4^th finger are bent over - and the tips of those two fingers touch the palm of our hands. These 2 fingers symbolize the humanity and divinity of Christ.

So there it is at our finger tips as we make the sign of the cross - in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Cross my heart and hope to die.

Suggestion: that would be a good way to sit down in a quiet chair in our home or here at church - and enter into the Holy Trinity.

AA

The main nemesis of Athanasius’ life was a priest name Arius - who almost destroyed Christianity. Arius dates are 256-336. He was from Libya - but settled in Alexandria for a while.  Arius  said that Jesus as God was not equal to God the Father - but born in time.

St. Athanasius stood up to Arius and anyone who did not see the 3 persons in the Trinity as equal and forever.

God is a Trinity - 3 persons, 1 God.

All 3 persons have always been - God.

All 3 persons are infinite

All 3 persons are equal - but distinct.

It is difficult - to get this - in fact we won’t - we are not God. 

Yet St. Athanasius said, “The Son of God became man so that we might become God.”

EXILE

St. Athanasius was not killed - he was not a martyr - like Stephen in today's first reading from Acts 7: 51-8:1.  Yet he was persecuted and hunted. He went into exile 5 times because of his beliefs - and his standing up to those who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ.

As I was reading about this last night, I found out that one motive for Arius and others - was to simplify the idea of who Christ was.  Son means son - and sons come along in time. Well, Christ was son - the Son of God - but always being begotten by the Father.

That’s mystery - and we don’t get it.

But we have all eternity - now and for all eternity  to enter into God and get deeper and deeper into God.

CONCLUSION

So that's a few ideas about Athanasius. Type his name into Google and see where that takes you. 

May 2, 2017

CALL-AND-RESPONSE

Call-and-response - is the key

to religious services. God calls….

Do I respond? Do I raise my hand

and  say, “I am here - willing and able?”

Call-and-response - is the key

to relationships. The other calls….

Do I respond? Do I  raise my hand

and say, “I am here - willing and able?”

Call-and-response - is the key

to having a pet. I call "Sascha"

or "Snuggles" and they come running

and I say, “Here’s your bacon treat!”

Call-and-response - is the key

to life. The needy need. They call ….
Do I respond? Do I come running

and treat the world to all my gifts?

 © Andy Costello, Reflections  2017