"Be, as a page that aches for words, which speak on a theme that is timeless". 

        "Sing, as a song in search of a voice that is silent" Neil Diamond.

         "Blessed are the people The Lord has chosen to be His own" Psalm 3

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called out to go to a place..not knowing where he was to go"

         "Come Holy Spirit, and fill the heart of this, faithless one"(hij")

         Well !!! Well !!! I am wondering what is going on within you now ? What are your thoughts ?" Have these words stopped you, and are carrying you to, where ? Maybe to, silence ? Or has the phone been hung up ? Each person will have her or his, own very unique, response to the above words. These words are intended not just glanced over, but are allowed entrance to your depths, where they are intended to go. The above words are sacramental, and given to you and I, now. In this now moment they are given as a nourishing challenge. A healthy  spiritual stretching, which will enable us to go beyond we can go the familiar, the comfortable, the nonthreatening, the place  where our false self luxuriates. 

  This is a placed of,  indifference, prejudice, starvation This is the place where our true selves, the one where the Great Creative Mercy-full embraces us, just exactly as we are. We do have to "put on a show", to show our Infinite Beloved that we somehow deserving of unconditioned, unlimited, unrestricted love. That boat has long sailed, and is not available for boarding. Let me be very ,clear the false self is ever so comfortable on that vessel of  comfort,  selfishness, prejudice, self occupation ,denial, and death. 

 There is that page, that place within you, which is waiting for your unique song, sung in silence. In that sacramental, sacred silence your uniqueness is being revealed to you. As we are told, "Silence is God's first language" in our silence our unique story is written. Whether that ,ever sacred story ever reaches it's intended destination depends SOLEY on our free will. What an awe-full gift free will is. The Awe-full, All Power-full One, cannot force us to to anything we do not want to do. We are getting the message that, love is freeing. We life our lives in thee freedom of being, the beloved daughters and sons of ,THE BELOVED. Our belovedness is a gift we must recognize  and claim, a thousand times a day. Why so many ? We are be aware of this frightening statistic, we ABORT, our souls, a thousand times a day. 

 Like Abraham we are being called to go forth traveling, one step at a time, into the darkness of the  unknown, where in the tabernacle of  silence, The Unknown, is  patiently waiting. Waiting so that we will consent our eternal destiny of being cocreators of an evolving, mysterious, ever greening,  cosmos. What a dignity that is imprinted on our souls. Never to be lost,  removed or obliterated. Dare to embrace your unique choice of song. Do not just sing it, rather shout it out. An empty world is waiting for that sound. Can creation continue to it's authentic evolution without your unique , constructive contribution?  Love, prayers and blessings is my gift to you all. May The Gracious Great Spirit continue the work that has already begun with in, and because of the exercise of you creative freedom. Great grandpa Joe.

      " May the gracious, (kind), care of The Lord, our God, be ours."  Ps. 90.It is ours. Let, our moment to moment actions, reflect this living mysterious truth. 

    " Come, Holy Spirit come, and fill the heart of this faithless one."

    " Today, if (when,) you hear the voice of God, harden not your hearts"

   " The denunciation of injustice implies ,the rejection of Christianity, to legitimize order."G. Gutierrez

  " Today, if (when) you hear the voice of God, harden not your hearts." It has been just over the last number of years I have begun to see the need to change the "if", which for me denotes uncertainty, to "when" which forces me to concentrate on "the here, and now". Corinthians reveals to us that "now is the acceptable time, now is the time of Salvation." Here and now, ALL , that The Gracious, Creative Spirit, in infinite Wisdom, knows I need to be an authentic co-creator is being channelled into me. NOTHING, but NOTHING is missing from this sacramental,  grace imbued moment. Nor, from THIS sacramental , and this, this.... ad infinitum.  As is was in, eternity ,so it is ,now, and ever shall be.

     I, we, must make " Lord, that I may see", " Your will be done, and not mine", are spiritual bromides  I must bring to consciousness again, and, again. Then, at least for me, this acceptance of my  innate powerlessness, to do anything on my own, results in the emergence of a reality, way beyond anything I would ever be able to imagine. I am getting to be in deeper acceptance of what I heard Fr.Rohr  first say, many decades ago, " The powerlessness of power, and the power of powerlessness". I have been growing in the acceptance of this challenging spiritual truth, not through any successes I may have. 

      The mysterious truth of this bromide comes  ONLY , through loss, failure,  suffering, rejection,  and isolation. This is the spirituality of imperfection, the apophatic way so many of us have been chosen to tread. Is it not great to know we are never alone on this slog. Yes, strength is found within the bonds of  those , the community who are  embracing the challenging of living  in daily living, depth reality of the Paschal Mystery. This community is vast. To consider  Christian Nationalism, is to consider embracing a contradiction.  It is too restrictive in its outreach and vision. Of it's essence, it is powerless!! 

    As Gustavo Gutierrez writes, we must denunciate a Christianity which ties to legitimize injustice, exploitation, dehumanization, denial of the basic needs of the human person. This can be applied, unfortunately, most certainty in our day and age. Is this not both sad, and embarrassing in a country that is looked on as educated, enlightened?  I even read recently " once there is talk of "social justice' the "privileged begin to resist." 

I have from my own experience seen people,  walk out, loudly disagree, and in one case be invited to seek a transfer to a " colored parish'. The word colored was not used, the repulsive, denigrating word was hurled in anger. I asked the person,  who encouraged my immediate  transfer, if he had  received  The Eucharist? The reply was a very definite, "yes". It was then, I hung up. I was early on in my journey in the priesthood.  Boy!! did that  initially both shocked, and rattled me. On the other hand, my resolve to face  the social,  financial ,and other injustices was strengthened from that moment on. There are some things you do not challenge an Irishman with. Especially if he comes from County Cork and was raised the many exploits of Michael Collins. We share some of the same DNA !!!! 

            

               "Lord, on the day I called You answered me; and built up strength within me.

             " The Lord will complete what He has done for me."Psalm 138.( In spite of my doubts and fears)

             "Come, Holy Spirit and fill the heart of this, faithless, one"(jih)

               From one of my favorite Irish songs.   "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears Isle of freedom, Isle of fears but it's not the isle you left behind

        That Isle of Hunger, Isle of Pain you'll never see again,But that isle of home is always on my mind."

 The events of our present history offers us the challenge of facing the awe-full  harshness of what is being perpetuated both at home and abroad. It boggles my mind that living, maybe existing is the right word,  in this supposed most advanced civilizations we are forced to face repulsive realities. We are challenged by "the barbarity of war" (Pope Leo), famine, and can we actually say, the possibility of, genocide?

    For me, "that Isle of Hunger, Isle of pain" will never again be seen by this alien, this Irishman born I County Cork. I was raised  with thought "that freedom was not free". My family really paid a serious price for freedom.  From my earliest youth I was a student of Irish History. Famine and genocide, are words not foreign to the sad history of Ireland. Before the beginnings of the genocide, NOT FAMINE, there were 8 million people in Ireland. After the horrors of the  deliberate, and well thought plans, actions of The British Government, Ireland was reduced to four million.  Records now available reveal that there was NO drop-off in the exports from Ireland to England during those Genocide years. The deprivation of food was looked on as the solution to the  'perceived",Irish,  problem.  Papers now available paint a dastardly picture of the English political mind. There is plenty of research available to make the word "famine" disappears from  description of what happened in Ireland,  and replaced, as it is now, partially, with,  GENOCIDE. 

Facing the growing challenge of hunger in so many parts of our home, we must also face this horrendous fact, there is food available but obstacles are placed to the way of the victims of  famine, and todays genocide to receive such aid. Thank God some countries are  now taking the initiative, and food is being air dropped. Blessings on all those who are brave enough to feed  the present day, SUFFERING BODY OF CHRIST.  The starving Christ was in the body of every Irish person, as He is, to day, in all those suffering in Gaza, Ukraine, and the starving hordes to be found in many continents.  

     " Those to whom much is given, much is expected" are Gospel words that cannot be sloughed over. We must counter attack those who would belittle such prophetic thinking. As some unfortunate leaders are  betraying Their Christ-like , humane calling, and are following The Hireling Shepherd. Our time, these times call out in desperate manner, for shepherdesses and shepherds faithful to the the Gospel's Social Teachings, irregardless of denomination. WE are being called to unite so as  to bring about seismic change .This seismic change has to find  its, origin, beginnings, in The Power that already dwells in the depths of  all hearts. As you read this I hope there is a new AWAKENING of the call to vocation of  being prophets. Prophets always speak the truth to power. History bears out that was not, "a good move", the prophets voices can only be silenced for a little while. From the blood spent, springs up a new breed of prophet. A prophet more committed to the radical demands of The Gospels.  

    Why would you choose to encounter to receive  That Creative, Always Creating Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation and Priesthood. Sometimes, when, I am gut honest, I sincerely question the actions of the hireling leadership of our Catholic Faith. Not our past and present popes who are breathing life into a new awakening. A new and more startling revelation of the Power of The Resurrection.

 Catholic means, "you all come". All are welcome and to partake, without money, without having to pay any price, of the blessings The Generous Creator has bestowed. There are to be no door checks, no validation of the required status, for entry to any celebration. All are called, all are chosen, by Infinite Love from It's Womb of Infinite love. We all are conceived and then called forth out of the impenetrable mists of  eternity. We had the beginnings of our  eternal communion  in the  infinite  depths of The Womb Of Infinite Lover. We must remind ourselves, and communicate  this truth to our human family and all creation of a Love that cannot ever be lost, or taken from us. From infinity we all enjoyed being called " BELOVED. The Lord will complete what has begun, but we are cocreatorrs in all the mysterious creative action necessary for  the creative evolution of "New Heavens and a new earth."..... GGPJ.

                   

 " Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and to those are mistreated as if

       you yourselves were suffering " Hebrews 13:3

 " Russian clergy who said "NO" to Putin's war in Ukraine are paying a price."( National Catholic Reporter)  From those who have died, from their deaths will spring The Springtime of a new, vibrant, prophetic, and an Eucharistic Church,in the fullest meaning of the word. 

   Come Holy Spirit come, and strengthen the heart of this faithless one. ( jih)

 Left the " home for expectant fathers', never knowing what was to come. We were prepared for change, but "seismic" did not enter the conversation. We are still feeling the tremors of the those seismic convulsions in our evolving Church, here 60 years plus. The changes wrought by Vatican Two have been fought tooth and nail. The Holy Spirit will work Its mysterious power, leaving those who thought they had power, powerless. Many have suffered unnecessarily. The Truth will always win in the long run. 

   There have been Martys in every, era, eon of the church, and our time is no different. The list of South American Martys, those contemporary Mary and Marthas, if it were published, what triggered their deaths, and who were the executioners, we would be shocked to our core. There is a great shadow side that must be penetrated and exposed. One Pope has published, "Where there is great light, there is also, great shadow." Our church and country is no different. We are ready to  eagerly embrace the light.  To Honestly embrace the shadow takes one may say, reckless courage. Let us take a look at our own families and see how the shadow, the family secrets are preserved, and defended. To what lengths do we go to defend the secret, the shadow. Can we say, "to the death ?" Honesty............

Please say HI ! to the Marthas and Marys within your depths. They live together, peacefully, each achieving what each  has been designed to achieve. Martha and Mary are archetypical realities within each one of us. ( This may send to scurrying to Google in search of the meaning of, archetype. Do not hesitate. Do it and see what dramatic changes comes to your understanding of  the scriptures and then of  yourself. I guarantee it is worth all the effort.) For so long Mary was praised for her stance, while poor Martha was given less than kind treatment. Not so today. In this day when we no longer judge in a the binary either/or but we now are called to enjoy the freedom of, the both/and. 

       A healthy  relationship with Martha, and Mary is, ESSENTIAl  for our healthy understanding leading to healthy growth.  D.V. We have to have Martha space, ever deepening our ability to listen to the voice of The Holy Spirit and then be lead to more committed actions as Mary. Without the balance Mary and Martha can trigger, and do trigger unwelcome, and very unwholesome consequences. Hubris can be the unwelcome visitor, when we do not attentively pay attention what The Master wishes to teach us as we find ourselves, "sitting at His Feet". Listening to what He is saying to us, as  the now, The Risen Christ. That is the Christ St.Paul says " lies within us". This is The Christ Who is "the source" of hope and strength.

    We have to make time for, information to be imparted. This leads to the formation of something new in our understand of todays mission of ,The Christ. It begins in our depths, in The Tabernacle of our depths, and slowly brings about through the action of mysterious grace, transformation. Once transformed we are not to rest, to glory, to luxuriate in the exciting newness. The next step is action. Contemplative action is a new word that has entered my vocabulary. Not understood at first. It is truly amazing what happens when one "sits at the feet of Him whose ministry we are continuing in our traumatized and suffering world. Martha alone, cannot get it done. Mary alone is impotent. Martha and Mary, together ends up as a dynamic, transformative power leading to Gospel living, and action.

                                " Come, Holy Spirit, and fill the heart of this faith-less one"

"Christ exists in all things, that, are."( Gregory of Nazianzus.)

" Those who remain silent, are RESPONSIBLE too." Saint Edith Stein, died Auschwitz, Aug.9th 1942, along with her sister Rosa. Both converts to Catholicism.

" Every creature participates  in some way in the likeness of The Divine Essence."(Thomas Aquinas)

How are you awakening the new revelation of The Divine Creative Spirit, The Divine Essence, present present within you and this present moment, and  at this moment ? Now again at this moment ?  For me, as I view with the naked eye, I see no difference whatsoever. For those who know they tell me there is an imperceptible change, as The Power of The Creative spirit is CONTINUING the endless work of your evolutionary process. Each evolutionary process is guided into reality by The Holy Spirit, The Spirit of Truth, The Giver of Life, The Source of Love. We are not evolving accidents. We are  an essential part The Masterplan  we are being guided in, and into reality. This happens one nano second at a time. Too fast for us to observe with the naked eye, so we need soul work. Soul work is our journey into the depths of our often harsh reality, there we encounter, Ultimate Reality, which is another way of describing, The Divine God Essence. 

     Way back, Moses, speaking to the wanderers in the desert, reminded them that the master plan for The Creator's Creation have been placed in them, written in their hearts and mouths.  It has been the ongoing challenge, for all who follow in their footsteps to have the courage to carry out what is written. within and on The Spirit's ,Manuscripts. May The Holy Spirit guide you into the AWE-Full, mysterious reality of who each one is, of their essence. 

 No body, but our Gracious Creator can bestow on us on us the Awe-full-ness of who we always are. Nobody can take what has been bestowed in Love. We all have the experience of where we not just question our Awe-full-ness but we actually actively deny  having "pearl of great price.Today we are blessed to have a more holistic understanding of creation. There  is no longer a division between the sacred and profane, there is only one reality, the sacraments of our present being, and the sacred place on which we stand, this sacramental moment. 

We do not have to look for The Divine. The Divine Presence is within, waiting patiently for us to discover, and visit the tabernacle which a the home for The All. Where  Safety Peace and True Freedom reigns, it is the place where those of us who are heavily burdened can come and rest awhile. There is always that invitation to "come rest in Me". The Sacred, The Divinity is always reach out to us in unconditional love. It really bothers, to no end the false self that we cannot earn, deserve, or qualify for endless unconditioned acceptance. It is pure gift. Let us not bastardize such a necessary transformative gift.  

( Only if you wish !!! This was something that bubbled up, and I am reluctant to delete it.) Last evening, for some reason, I found little Joe, remembering how he felt with his  first encounter, with, the ocean. I can vividly remember being contented to sit in the wading pool, on the beach at Garretstown. This is regarded as one of the best beaches to be found in the county of Cork, Ireland. (Who does know that famous, colorful county ? )  I was safe, enjoying the warmth of the sun. As least for a while.  Then I turned my head, saw the ocean, and it beckoned to me. I only remember standing, where the little lapping waves found their home. Because they shared their home, I found a place of hospitality, safety, and security.. That began a long history of  Joe answering the call of the waves. I travelled  over, oh so many waves to arrive in this challenging, blistering desert. Deep within I will always have a  growing memory, of that safe place.  Forward to now, I have to meet the ongoing challenge of, P.T.S.D. so a safe, secure place is ever so very, very precious.  

Some of our Bishops are taking their pastoral, and prophetic callings so very seriously. Let us support them in every way we can. Take the warning of Edith Stein, we do NOT have to option of remaining silent. We are about to face the stark reality of being prophetic presences and voices. I some cases, maybe in all the battles for justice and common decency, we pay the price. hen you are being confined to the prisons of unjust anger and shame, Psalm 69 assures us that "those who are in bonds', their cries are  always heard. Lastly," Hope does not disappoint." May the Creative Spirit guide your efforts. May you find courage, hope, and the spirit of perseverance, in The Gracious Power of Love. This is where all began, and are on the hard slog back to. Love,  prayers, and blessings. Great Gramps.

           

       

       

           

       I really feel bad that there is no conventional "Happy Something" to wish you. Hold your horses now, of course there is. Wait for it, A Happy Birthday to you all. This is taking seriously that every day is a new birthing day for you. The person that was yesterday is now part of the foundations of the now you. Brand new, and even more deeply mysterious, than you were yesterday. The Creative-Creating is working on a masterpiece, which is you. You are a masterpiece to be viewed in a museum, but you are being created, one nano second at time, to be viewed by all those who need for Mystery is being met by, and in your presence. We are told Our Creator God is ever new. We being His/Her living presence are always new. ETERNALLY SO. Is there ever a moment that is not appropriate to join with all the cosmos in singing , shouting loudly as possible, "Happy BIRTHING to you, in this sacramental moment." in eternity.

             Now that you are being birthed, anew, let us journey through some other reasons to sing, shout gloriously another  "Happy". Happy Christmas, seems appropriate. To day, The Mystery of The Incarnation is receiving a new revelation in, and through every nano second you will be privileged to  live. "The Glory of God, is,  the human person fully alive" St. Irenaeus. We are not being created to  just exist, we are called to "live life, and live it to the fullest". We are then challenged to be the best person we can be, in this moment. We must remember this is, you are looking at it. the best version of yourself, that has ever existed. "Never better". (Msgr. O,Grady R.I..P.)  

   Who we are in the continuous process of becoming, of evolution into a newness.We are becoming an new reality. This new reality, which we will be privileged  inhabit, is being built on on belief that each nano second ,a new revelation of The Mystery of Being, is best revealed in this new  version of our authentic human-being-ness. We must ever remind ourselves, there is a God, and we are not that, Infinite Being. Every moment is a Christmas moment. Every moment is, a moment The Incarnation is newly revealed. Where is that going to take you ? Reflect on your "now" uniqueness ???

          Well, every "now" moment, is,  mysteriously unique.  No two ,are the same. Life's moments,  cannot, of their essence be boring. Why?  Within the depths of every new , ever fleeting  moment, is mysteriously  presents ALL,Yes ,ALL that  the Liturgical Year, and  the unique Liturgical Celebrations, takes a complete year to recognize and celebrate.  We can look back ,and upon reflection, come to discover, all that  which , were present within every Liturgy  is now, present. Yes. Yes, right here , and right now, period. So in the now, in this, not so  "simple moment", within its depths, is everything that it  the Liturgical year takes to celebrate. This then is how mysterious each moment is.  Here and now what is hidden within, is exposed for celebration You have had the experience of looking at something through a magnifying  glass or microscope. What seems to be kinda ordinary, and sometimes dead, under the microscope is filled with life, and vitality. Liturgy, and the Liturgical year is the magnifying glass which extends our so called ordinary moments, into weeks and months of  rediscovery and celebration. ( If you can get through these last sentences in one read, you are mystically magnificent. I have lost time on how long it has taken to get those few sentences on paper. I am missing golf on t.v. No pain, no gain????? )

         Within the present moments, all the mysterious  moments of Holy Week and The Paschal Mystery is  our hidden reality.  We are today, now, challenged  to see and embrace Christ, Who  is again beaten, bruised, betrayed, brutalized, and crucified, in the most powerless of His sisters and brothers. We are faced with all the ramification of poverty, and powerlessness. Our neighborhoods, communities are reliving in their moment to moment realities what first happened almost 2,000 years ago.( Remember, in the spiritual there is no time and space.) We are again exposed to the cross being carried by the contemporary Christs. Where is Simon and Veronica to be encountered ministering to The Suffering One, in all suffering of all humankind. 

     We are in tomb time again. All of humankind and the rest of creation is sitting, waiting and watching for the darkness of the unknown to be pierced again, with the transforming, transfiguring power of The Resurrected One. Liminal time is really, really tough to endure, by ourselves. We need community and community celebrations to rekindle the fire, that is now to be  searched for, and rediscovered among the ashes. There is life in the ashes, of the seemingly ashes of life. "Death is not an end, death is a beginning." So easy to repeat, is it not? To put it into practice, "walk the talk" not talk the walk. We need each other as never before. These are uncertain times, so we must be exposed for revivification to the Gracious Creative Spirit Whose job description is to stir up faith and hope among us who are faithless, and hopeless. " I believe, Lord, help my disbelief/unbelief". From within the  fear-filled darkness, in our "absolute dependence on a Higher Power", EVER and Always we shall emerge, newly birthed , newly vitalized. Yes, from  the place of powerlessness,  The Paschal Mystery within or lived experience, shall emerge "new heavens, and a new earth."  

       

 

 Well, "Happy Easter" is not appropriate, but, "Happy Birthday" is, as today we celebrate the birthday of the Mother  Church.. For Joe it is "Happy sixty-second Anniversary", that is of, ordination. On June 8th 1963, in Carlow, Cathedral  30 very nervous young, and one  mature adult answered the call. They were each called by name, in latin, and the answer was "ad sum". That was when I was called to the priesthood. Until then we were just candidates for ordination. It was a six year process of vetting as to whether we had what it took to be ordained, or, not. I was all of, 23 years .  

            In August of that year, three other Corkonians, boarder a plane at Shannon Airport and winged their way from the green grasses of Ireland, to the brown deserts of Arizona. I was immediately immersed in the convulsions of the Catholic Church as she adapted to the  resolutions, and revelations of The Second Vatican Council.  I like all others are riding out the waves of change,  right up to this present moment.  It is help-full to know, "the only thing certain, is change" ?????  Great consolation to us who are struggling. Adding to the challenge of change here we are adapting to the election, under the guidance of The Holy Spirit, of Pope  Leo 14th. Blessing on Him and His Bride as they journey further along the trail , and trials, of an evolutionary journey. " Faith", it helps to know, or not, " is a journey into uncertainty, NOT certainty" Is it not also called, "the dark night of faith." Far cry from all the certainties I came with in 1963. At 85 I find I have to work harder than I ever did in the seminary. Back then one of the funnies was,  a seminary was "a home for expectant fathers". There was more truth, than poetry to that, as the Irishman said.

         To sing "Happy Birthday, to us" is a very appropriate rhythm for today. As I have mentioned before, one of the books that radically changed me was, "The People are The Church" by Eugene Kennedy. As you know well, one of my favorite sayings is, " Every blessing is a curse, and every curse is a blessing". There were, and are times I wished I was  not exposed to the challenge that book proposed and consequently  exposed me to, over there 62 years, There was a companion to that publication, " Comfort my People". The challenging truths of the 60's are alive and well in our world today, and as consequence in our church. Every individual, that is you and I, are being challenged as never before, to adopt and adept ourselves to the challenges of our ever evolving realities.

             We cannot, we were not chosen and created to live a life of security and safety. The Holy Spirit has directed the evolution of the cosmos, for at least 13.4 billion years, It has guided the relationship with emerging humanity for eons. This guidance into "all truth" is happening within the reality of this present moment. It cannot happen in any other way. The Creative Spirit always looks for the cooperation of human instrumentality  to achieve It's evolutionary goals. In this moment your response to the call, will depend the wellbeing of the present creation, and the chance of a healthy evolutionary future. That is why every moment is sacred. Charged with the Glorious Presence, Who reaches out in desperate need of our human cooperation. We do not have to be perfect in all of this. We, as, "perfectly imperfect human beings" are called on to make our best effort at all times. We do our best, and The Creative Spirit, does the rest. That is The Holy Spirit's job description, to bring order to chaos. As it was, so it is, and ever shall be.

Let us all pray for this confident belief, we are not just accidents of nature. We have been part of the eternal plan, that is being lived in you and through all the created universe. Hope your birthday celebrations will reflect the dignity a people, chosen to be, The Gracious Creator's, very own !!!! 

Pray for me as I enter the unknown 63 third year of a very mysterious, challenging slog. Gramps.

              

              

 Still Easter, 2025, but not for long more. The calendar time will run out, but our reflection on The Paschal Mystery and its mysterious, very heady, meanings are to be our constant companion. The every day journey into  reality, and so into Reality, will bring us to a constant new awarenesses. This is what can make our every day, so-called humdrum  life explode with mystery, and a new level of meaning. This breathes excitement into our moment to moment living out of the gift of, living freely. This freedom, like all freedoms comes at a price. The greater the freedom the greater the price. So we have Memorial Day, and Lent, Easter Mysteries. We also have lives that have lived that can be checked as regards the price was paid in vain.  As a result we grow into an ever deepening understanding of  mysterious life that is ours that is to be lived in freedom that came at the price of someone else, life-blood. 

             One has to be extremely blind not to accept the fact that the quality of life is not what was envisioned by Jesus, The Christ and our Founding Fathers. The Historical Jesus, who became The Christ Of God, through His sacrificial death, through His, Vicar on Earth, is challenging us not to  betray the vision, " Have come that you may have life, and have it to the fullest". St.Irenaeus has written, "The Glory of God, is the human person fully alive." As we look at the lives of billions, they are blatantly not living lives that reflect, full human  aliveness. The billions who are barely subsisting, far, far, from living a life that befits a child of The Loving  Creator God.  To meet the challenge, and a consequence challenges you and I we find that there are always Good Samaritans to be found, ministering to The Presence of The Suffering Who is to be found in refugees, migrants, disenfranchised, and all who do not measure up to something thatbreflects anything but Gospel values. Can we say, as we honestly look at our country, and world as say this is the living which encourages, and makes possible, authentic human living ? Let us become the people who embrace unvarnished truth, not people of the lie, compounding the ongoing Crucifixion, of "the least of the brethren ".

            We must, possible in a new way of living, free our  inner Veronica and Simon, so we can bravely step forward to do what is necessary to make the lives of all, especially the lives of the  vulnerable, lives that can "Thank You" for the sacrifices of those who fought,  so,"that all men/women can be free." The vision of The Historical Jesus, Who became the Christ, and those who formed a vision for our country, must regain its place. A tough question , " Has enough blood been spilt, lives eviscerated, humans dehumanized,  and enough of the vulnerable, exploited ?. 

      We must start with the vulnerable person we meet, as we  look in the mirror every morning. What are the plans to be the contemporary Good Samaritan, to the wounded one we encounter lying in pain, in the depths of our broken, wounded humanity ? We must ask for the strength, the courage, not to live lives of lies, of denial, but that bravely embrace our deepest embarrassing  secret reality. This is where conversion begins. We are turning around, confront the lies, and live a live of real freedom, not the  apparent freedom that leads us back into denial, inaction and a death that is certain to say, " I do not respect the sacrifices of those who have  made the unlimited sacrifice. I will squander my freedom because I lack the conviction that " I am my sister's/brother's keeper".  " Whatever you do to the least ones, you do it to Me".  

              We must  then, make Matthew 25, the corner stone of our current formation, of our conscious and will. " I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was in prison and you visited me......" Nowhere can be found a condition that must be met before ministry takes place. We must all confront fearlessly, or as best we can, the lies that have made their way into our hearts and minds that has allowed us to live a life of neglect, as far as The Contemporary Wounded Christ is concerned. We are the " home of the brave". Suit up as those who we remembered on Memorial Weekend suited up to meet the challenge to  their common freedom. " No one is free, until all humankind is free".

 Having lived among the poor Pope Leo has a very different understanding of " La Vida ". That is what the poor does for us it awakens a very different understanding of A Mercy-full  Good Shepherd. A Shepherd Who, here I am repeating myself, never leaves His flock, of which  we are an essential part, untended. The Good Shepherd leads the flock.  When a sheep strays away from the rest of the flock, He leaves those safe sheep, and seeks, and searches for the lost one. He does not drive the sheep back, but carries that wayward one back to it's safe home, the flock. All the members of the flock know the shepherds voice  and will not follow any other voice.  What an awe-full dynamic  lies at the heart of this relationship.What a wonder-full, awe-full truth. A truth we must make reflect on constantly, in oder that reality of the mystery becomes ours. Let us all pray we may never deny the truth that lies beneath this relationship. This denial leads to a life lived in fear, as well as an existence etched out in hopelessness. Not the life we have been called to live.

           Have you noticed that Pope Leo offers the the same peace to us, that The Risen Christ offered to His disciples on that first Easter morning. Is not our Pope subtly directing us to examine again, and again, the meaning behind not just peace, but Shalom. That fullness of meaning must be our guiding strength as we face a world, whose only underlining reality is, uncertainty. Then along comes the voice of our New Shepherd, crying out aloud, Be Awoke....Be Loving....Be Woke. We must arise from our slumbering and listen to the fearless voice of  this Pope. This voice  does find its roots in fantasy, but in the lived experience of the poor, the powerless, the neglected, the exploited, and any dehumanizing reality you can bring to consciousness. What a reality he is bringing to the Papacy. A papacy whose roots are to be found in life of The Historical Jesus of Nazareth. This Jesus, became The Christ of God, through His sufferings, death, burial, and Resurrection. That Christ now dwells within ur depths. He has chosen each one to be the tabernacle where He with The Father, and the Holy Spirit dwells eternally 

       Pope Leo knows what is is to pray from, the mud. He knows in his gut, what it means to pray from  the place, of anger. Anger At God!!!!! When have you heard a Pope encourage the prayer of anger to be directed to, A Divinity, A God we are angry at., He is encouraging us to bravely exercise  our freedom, to tell Him in unvarnished words  exactly how we feel. Feelings  are our deepest truth. Let us pray to The Source of ALL  Truth that we have the courage to speak our truth, to, The Mysterious Truth.

       Years ago, I read one author write this startling truth, " anger transformed by Grace, leads us to a life of compassion." Is this the way to compassion ? I now believe it is THE ONLY WAY. Pope Francis oozed compassion. He spent his whole life of pastoral ministry, ministering to the powerless. Can we expect anything less from the pastoral approach of Pope Leo.  His ministry, in his own words, must  " be guided by truth... humbled by grace... committed to justice." Let us pray that all my grow up to be responsible citizens. Have the courage to fearlessly voice,  The Truth, and follow Him who has gone before us to transforming crucifixion.   "Be.... Awoke, Be.....Loving, Be...... Woke"  Prayers for courage !!!!! Gramps.

 Easter 2025...... The following was posted on FB on Thursday night:

                 "It is time for me to for me to go to the bunkhouse  !!!!! I have spent the day making an effort to wrap my head around THE news, of the day, year, decade, and decades to come. We  have a new Pope. He has chosen the name Leo. He will be the fourteenth Pope with that historic name. In one way, it will be the continuation of the vision of Pope Francis, yet that vision has to be developed to meet the challenges of our emerging, evolving creation.  

        Today's answers cannot answer the questions of tomorrow. We will ALL, that all the members of the human family be challenged to embrace an evolving newness. Let al pray for the all around health of our new Papa. I will be here for a short lived experience of the evolutionary world that is on its way. Always remember, yesterday's answers are to be the foundation of answers not yet formulated. They are, of necessity coming !!! What a mysterious future awaits all of our creation. Blessings to and on, all. 

             Having read that, how do you feel ? Challenging, to say the least. Complacency will be a luxury, that will trigger greater challenges for the spiritual well being of all. All who are companions traveling on this space ship we call, earth. We are all co-creators of an emerging, evolutionary home. Pope Leo sees the challenges that technology is presenting to our world community. We are only in the infancy of a revolutionary way of addressing challenges. Are those solutions healthy ones for us, going forward ?  That is just one of the challenges Pope Leo has to face. We are experiencing a splintered world. Divided in so many ways. We are a divided church. The church, The Body is to be experienced as a unity of complementary parts. St. Paul has provided us, for centuries now, a vision of how The Body is to live in harmony. We are sad to say, more divided. 

         I have experienced an evolving church community for 61 years, plus. It has not been a journey one would have chosen. Yet from my experience I have to encourage you, when darkness seems to be hiding all vestiges of hope, it is then we are to rely on dark faith. We have The Spirit of Joy and Hope given to us. We are not orphans. Having no home, no place of welcome. We DO have a home ,way beyond our limited imagination. Pope Leo will be The Shepherd meeting our needs. Challenging solutions will be offered. Choices will be made. Some will hide away in the status quo. Clinging to the deception of certitude. Others will choose," the narrow gate". The rocky, winding, uncertain trail will be the one that will lead us into  new Heavens and a new evolving earth. The only thing that is certain, is uncertainty.

          Pope Leo has the experience of journeying with the poorest of the poor. Luxury is foreign to him. He has been formed, nourished, by The Body Of Christ which has known only poverty,  neglect, and powerlessness. He was a presence whose very being oozed hope, strength, joy, affording his Peruvian family the certitude that The Risen Christ is in His Body. This Presence is saying, do not fear, all will be well. It will take time for us to come to an understanding of what Peru taught Pope Leo. He will pass it on to us in the subtleness of the life he will challenge us to live. Let us pray, that we may be one, in mind heart, soul. Christ prayed that all His followers be one. Let us work to bring unity within ourselves, our families, our homes, and our home of homes. Let us suit up, and show up.

 Easter 2025..... continued. Waiting is tough ?,Right ? I am impatient. I want directions, answers, right now. The more one reflects on the spiritual journey, we find a great deal of what of what was gifted, came after waiting.  So much of what happened to our ancestors in faith, was the result of liminal time.  As it was for them, so, it is our lot, in this now moment. Yes we do not know what is to come, but we do know what is happening to us, right now." Now is the acceptable time". In this moment all that we need to be happy, joyous, and free, is being pour into you and I, RIGHT NOW. 

    As we are anxiously waiting for what is to come, The Creative Spirit is using this time to reveal something new. The power of Transforming, Transfiguring grace, molding us into the person we need to be, to be ready to respond to the gift, that is to be given. The waiting, then, is essential ? Pain-full but essential for growth. Does not so much life emerge from the darkness of the womb. We may have emerged from the darkness of the physical womb, but we need to return to that experience to grasp what is happening, now. We are experiencing the ever newness, always gifting us, not what the false self demands, but the gift graciously accepted by, the true self.

              There are millions, if not, billions, waiting for white smoke. What we are all being offered is, black. A signal, the process of The Conclave must continue. The Holy Spirit is using this time to make sure what is going to be revealed, some moment in the future, will be, NOT  WHAT WE WANT, but what is the best for all of creation. We were taught a great lesson in the 1960'S. What was expected, was not what was given. Creation, and the ongoing creative process of evolution, was gifted Saint, John the twenty third. Not what was wanted, but what was needed. We all have experienced a transformation way beyond anything that was expected. So much so, to the present moment the validity of process has not been accepted. As it was, so it will be, are we prepared for the struggle, as we journey into the uncertainty of the future. Let us all, if possible, embrace all now moments are infused with,  The Creative Presence, of The Creating Power, God. 

               Gifts are sometimes given at the most surprising time. Right ?? Those in that room on Easter Sunday, when they were most aware of their power to act, their helplessness in the face of faith challenges, were given this inestimable gift, the power to forgive sins. In the greeting of Shalom, all that was need was being poured into their depths. I would really have liked to go to St.Peter. He, from his experience of the Power of Love, had so much understanding,  compassion to share, freely.He had been shocked to his roots.  

      In the depths of his new rootedness was a readiness to reconcile anyone, for anything. He would stop any self persecution, self shaming. " Stop, just take a look at what I did. I denied my Master, not once, but three times. When He greeted me, and all the others, it  was with, Shalom. It is Shalom I am gifting to you. Go and enjoy the new life that is now, yours.  But remember, this gift is not for you, it is to be given away, freely.  

     One cannot, earn, deserve or ever qualify for Shalom. When given away, will increase the wonder, the joy, of what it means to be always in the mercy-full embrace of Unconditioned Love. As you were gifted Shalom, so now be a messenger of this new way of loving, in all relationships. Then an unquenchable flame of Divine Love will transform and transfigure, all that is.  May Shalom, shared in all of its practical applications  be that which will enlighten the current darkness. The light of day, always emerges from the womb of darkness. This is our, now. It is all we have got. It is more, than enough. Grandpa Joe.

                

 Post Easter Sunday, 2025.

            I will be able to write that heading for a total of 50 days after Easter Sunday. This is a mantra now, for me, unfortunately for you. " We spend 40 days preparing for the celebration of The Easter-Paschal Mysteries. We have three days of celebration, to be drawn into The Mysteries. Now we are in the midst of a 50 day journey into a fuller, more complete understanding of what it means to be initiated into these mysteries. Each time some aspect of The Mysteries is revealed to us, that up to now was before us but we somehow did not see it. We were then in a partial understanding of these supernatural  mysteries.  By each unique celebration we are  privileged to be drawn, by the Holy Spirit ever deeper into what up to now has been hidden from sight, and as a consequence, understanding. 

I would love to have a fly on the wall when the wall as the disciples gathered in a locked room, after death and now Resurrection. What were the whispers being exchanged ? You can, for your edification, make up how you think the whispered conversations went !!!!!! How must the combined group have been shocked when The Risen Christ stood in their midst ? Put yourself in their sandals, and be led into..... Now you are back listen to the words of The Once Crucified and buried One. " Shalom, peace", were His words of comfort, to the embarrassed group. There were no words of remonstration, accusation for lack of support in the moments of extreme suffering, and death. There was just, Shalom. For us Gentiles that means just peace. How sad? We are somehow deprived of how the Jewish mind understands that familiar greeting. Shalom is also used as a good-bye. 

   The following are what a Jew wants to convey by the salutation Shalom. The wish contains a desire for you to experience,  inner peace, wholeness,  fullness-completeness  in mind body and estate. ( after loss), means to restore, to make whole. It also has means wishes for "good health",  "prosperity"," also, well-being, well". In time of struggle, like right now, there is the wishing for tranquility, and completeness. There are more meanings for you to discover, hidden in the wish, the greeting. Make your own list of the many challenging, deep and different meanings and allow them to grow to consciousness.

Wow !!! here I am having written a great deal, and have not reached the point I wanted to make. So, I will impose on your generosity sometime in the future, when we will continue an understanding of the dynamic, inherent in that first meeting.  Shalom, in the fullness of its meanings to you, your loved ones, and all are accompanying you on this journey, as spiritual beings, immersed in the human condition. Shalom is, above all, a greeting to ourselves. 

    Unless we are convinced, we have within our depths the power to bring all that  'Shalom" means,, not just peace, we will miss out on the intent of our creation ,in eternity, and receiving existence in, creation. We will ever and always be so much more than what we, perceive ourselves to be. Yea, we are all, by our inner nature,  mysterious. Mysterious because of Whose Being we share. A living mystery must be reverenced and celebrated, to have fullness of life, do you not think?    May your Easter-Paschal celebrations bring you Shalom, with all of its many meanings.

 " The Creator's first language is, silence." Those words really silenced me when I first read them, again, many eons ago. The language of silence is so difficult to comprehend, not to mind understand.Obviously I have been silent for some time now. First there was the silence of the empty tomb. Then we were hit with the silence of the now, empty, Chair of Peter. That is a a great deal of silence which we have to face with deep faith, and soul searing quiet. We are being lead where ? Into the darkness of our faith journey. 

           I am of the belief  that the silence you and I had to face , and are facing, is speaking deep truths. Truths that are springing  from the depths of darkness. Truths that become your real foundational source of faith. The Historical Jesus, on His way to becoming The Christ of God experienced the silence of the aftermath of His Paschal Death, while awaiting His Resurrection. As the result of His Resurrection we all now share  before we encounter the finality our Terminal Death. We are guaranteed, with all of creation ,an intimate knowledge of what it means to die and  be resurrected. The Easter Mysteries have this lesson to teach us, "Death is not an end, death is a ,beginning". We are now free to ,name our deaths, but it is essential we claim our births. Otherwise we can fall into discouragement. The Easter Mysteries  are teaching  us, "in every ending there is a beginning. In every beginning, there is an ending." What is dawning in your darkness ? What is being revealed is, NOT, for yourself  alone, but for the building up of the common good. (St. Paul) 

 The word death is a word that is becoming a very frequent visitor to my every day vocabulary. I am now 85 and a half. That half is enunciated more often now , when announcing my age,  just like a child ????? Well I am in my second childhood, and I am now, not prepared to ignore that reality.  I cannot find refuge in fantasy land. Reality is my now, home.  I am becoming more and more comfortable with the oncoming transforming encounter with death. Death is now a recognized and kinda welcomed companion.  Transfiguration is a universal reality. In each encounter we grow into an ever deepening mysterious relationship with, The Real, Reality Itself. The path is sure a winding trail, leading to where ? We are not privy as to our destiny. We grow in the certain knowledge we never journey alone. We are ever and always, a Foursome.  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have Their Dwelling place in the tabernacle that has been created and gifted to us. A gift that we cannot loose, no matter what...... 

We have again encountered loss. Tomb time,  followed by  another tomb time. From the first Tomb time Came The Resurrection.  From this now tomb time will  emerge new life, challenging us to a new way of living. We are in desperate need to be blessed with the lenses which are able to draw us into having the sight to see Easter-Paschal life springing to life, from the darkness.  The power of The Risen Cosmic Christ will continue to shatter darkness in all its forms. In the wake of the shattering what new life do you envision will become a lived part of all reality ? This is guaranteed to happen, why? We have been chosen, and blessed to be co-creators of all evolving creation. Yes! all of us as a Resurrected People, will have facilitated the shattering, as is our, DESTINY .  " I believe, help my unbelief/disbelief". 

 HOLY SATURDAY 2025...... We must keep before us this challenging thought. We bless ourselves, make the sign of the cross, for the beginning of the Holy Thursday celebration. We do not make the sign of the cross until the end of the celebration of The Easter Vigil. From  Holy Thursday on, what takes place is one gigantic celebration of a Mystery we have been celebrating each and every year. Each year The Liturgy schools us in an understanding we did not have, it is a mysterious gift which comes to us through prayer and reflection. I am now 85,( that is old, old ) and each year I am drawn into an understanding that has been missing from my life. That is wrong, it has not been missing, it has been waiting in my depths waiting to reach consciousness. The more work one puts in the more mysterious the unfolding.

          We are familiar from the piece of art, describing the emergence of light from darkness, and darkness from light. It is a gentle unfolding, what  we would not be aware of until  it is pointed out. From the closing of The Good Friday celebration a Catholic Church is a very cold place to enter into. The tabernacle has its door open, revealing an emptiness. There is no Real Presence, the sanctuary light does not glow red in the darkness. All the art pieces, are clothed in purple. No music, except "silent music". We will be drawn to  this "silent music". What happens next depends on us, and our response to the invitation to solitude. In solitude we are faced with our issues of, "addiction, negativity, fear, and control." We have been drawn in an ever new evolving awareness each Lenten journey. 

            From the emptiness, of  the now, "tomb time", emerges some new understanding which has not been ours until now. It slowly weaves its way into consciousness. Then a new light appears. A new hope awakens within. Our steps have a new rhythm. We want to dance. We want to dance to the rhythm of our own soul's, new music. Where there was the darkness of death, the grieving for the loss of life, now there in new meaning to the words of  Exsultet. This is a hymn praising to glory of the new light, that has entered the darkness. The words that can be found on the internet are a wonderful resource for meditation. Give yourself an Easter gift that will enhance and vivify your life. 

           From the tomb of darkness, powered by the" powerlessness of power", the bright light of hope is gifted to illumine the darkness, and we can join St.Paul in saying, "death, where is your sting". Yes, "death is not an end, death is a beginning",a new beginning, a birthing. A birthing process that must be reverenced, and above all celebrated.  That which is birthed must be nourished, and fed. In that the new creation will be fed and nourished. Then we will not only give birth, we will give life. The Resurrected Christ, no longer the historical Jesus, reveals the transforming power  The Resurrection. Yes !!! St Paul is right. So we can rightly pray, if not a little reluctantly, " I want to know Christ-yes, to know the power of resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death." Phil 3:10.

              The Risen Christ will  transform your life, slowly and gentle. This is the relentless, ongoing work of  the power of His Spirit within your depths. May you come to see that in all of life's losses and deaths, the birthing of something, a reality, that is new. lIke all new life it must be taken care of with a gentle, and caring love. Your coming to the fullness of life, is the fulfillment of  the wish of The Revelator. 

           

   2025 GOD FRIDAY..... In order not to wear out my welcome, if I have not done so already this reflection will be confined to just a few Good Friday experiences we meet, every day.

 The Scourging at The Pillar. It took me many, many Lents to awaken to the reality of the  scourging of Christ in my journey. I go back to John O"Shea , " Jesus's story is our story today.". Then to validate that I read each. and every person, place , event found in the Gospel is actually happening within my depths. That set me back on my heels. So, are you ready for this, I am working on accepting, and becoming reconciled with this reality.

       Remember that saying " we are sometimes our own worst enemy." What do we do with an enemy, we punish it, if we cannot kill it. In our 30's we are challenged to accept, we are not the best at anything. All of our plans have come up short. We blame ourselves for our limitations. Sometimes we are carrying the burden, from the past of the voice that criticizes us. We never did anything right. The legacy of perfectionism !!!! Luck I was made aware of this reality, "We are born human and we spend the rest of our lives working on accepting the meaning of this.". " We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are SPIRITUAL BEINGS immersed in the human condition"(De Charden). Please do not just blow by these realities. There is a process in the cessation of self scourging when we accept the fact we are limited. 

            We are The Body of Christ ??? So when we are scourging ourselves we are actually scourging The Body of Christ. When we are relentless in our scourging we will actually scourge any person who does not meet our expectations. Remember, " Expectations are planned resentments". The scourging at the pillar continues, endlessly. Will we accept the reality that the Historical Jesus fell three times on His agonizing journey to Calvary ? He began to make the journey alone, but on the was Simon was roped into carrying the crossbeam for the crucifixion. Simon had no choice but to carry the cross. Have you become aware of The Simon within yourself, and the many Simons who willingly share the  journey to death and resurrection with us? 

  The Stations of The Cross presents for our reflection Veronica .  She saw the Suffering One and something inside of her moved her to go through the crowd and minister to Jesus. The Veronica within, where do you meet her, in your needs ? We must pray that her soothing, mercy-full presence become an essential part of our  spiritual journey. The Christ within will delight in the care, right now. Remember when it comes to the spiritual world, there is no time and space. See how that changes your understanding of spiritual thinkings.

          The desolation on the cross. " My God, My God, why have you abandoned me. In The Garden it was " Father, would that this cup pass from me." There is no such intimacy on Calvary. He went to that place of total abandonment. On our visits to that place of abandonment we very slowly begin to realize, in abandonment is where everything comes to us. Just appreciate what each trip to that place of abandonment  offers you. This is not for you, it is to be shared. The Veronica within is alive and well......

                                                       The Tridium: HOLY THURSDAY.

We are now entering the three day celebration, of a Mystery. Not just any Mystery, but as The Eucharistic  Liturgy teaches, "it is, The, Mystery of our faith". We pray, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again", The Paschal Mystery for short. How has this Christ come to inter our human history? "He  was conceived by The Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary".  In his Letter to The Philippians, St.Paul teaches, in the second chapter, " He was known to be of human, and it thus that He humbled Himself, obediently accepting death, death on a cross." Death on a cross was not just any death, it was the death reserved as punishment for a runaway slave. 

     It was a death so ignominious, that The Jewish people saw it as ending your life in a place of cursedness, to quote "cursed is he who hangs upon, the wood".  The Historic Jesus, Who became The Christ of God, went to that place of "cursedness", so that when we have to confront, physically encounter our place of darkness, powerlessness, and cursedness we have awaiting us, Who ? The Incarnated Mercy of The Prodigal Father. Who has the power to heal us, soothe us, comfort us, protect us, transfigure and transform. Where do you encounter and embrace such gifts. There must be something virginal, about all, or nearly all of who you are in 2025 encounter with The Paschal Mystery. To be a vital celebration we must bring our new way of being, our new way of seeing. It cannot be the same of the past, it must your contemporary encounters.

       Holy Thursday Solemn Liturgy, beckons us to reflect on, what is now known as the first mass. The priesthood was established. What vivifying understanding has a dynamic effect on each Eucharistic Celebration. Are we actually in each celebration, celebrating the priesthood of The Chosen People of The New Testament ? Or we just at each celebration hoping that something may rub off on us ? " No deposit, no return" holds true for each Liturgical celebration. The Gracious Creative Power will NOT do for us, what we can do for ourselves ???? 

    Can you break into a sweat of blood ? All humans can, if they get that scared. You have to be at the pinnacle of fear for you to sweat blood. It does not usually happen, but if it does The Good Shepherd is there to wipe our brow, and refresh "our drooping spirit." 

You may want to go to last years reflection to round ooff all I have missed. A joyous, mysterious, a vivifying Easter Tridium to all. This is your inner story being revealed. Embrace that which your first reaction is to recoil. Love, prayers, and Paschal Joy to all. Great grandpa Joe. 

 

                                                                          Holy Week 2025......... Palm Sunday Eve,at 9:30 p.m.

Faith is always a journey into the unknown mystery of our lives and our living. We life our lives looking forward but understanding comes in our looking backwards. In what we see, in the reflection of the life we have lived through. Our goal is it to live life, not merely eke out an existence. Yet, that is the lot of not thousands, but millions of our sisters and brothers through our own country and billions across our shared home. 

 This thought just struck me. Why am I making the effort, again this year, to put into words, a spiritual pain that is way beyond the power of human expression ? I do have the right to presume that my word will properly express the in-expression-able ? Then it dawns on me are we not all struggling with the same human life, and the mystery, being discovered, hidden in a same human fleshiness. The same flesh we are contemplating is the same flesh, The Revelator of Mystery, was incarnated into.  John O'Shea wrote " Jesus's story IS our story today. We must read the Gospels, not as the accounts of what happened about 2,000 years ago. It is your story, and my story today. 

 Please, please  read, and listen, attentively to what will bubble up from your depths. This is your truth. This is the gospel you have been chosen to write. You are The Contemporary  Christ writing  a gospel for our contemporary world. The same Holy Spirit that guided the First Evangelists is the same Holy Spirit that is powering all of our lives, into life. As guides we have then have been provided in The Four Gospels accounts of His life, Death, Burial, Resurrection. These Four Gospels are  four accounts of the in-expression-able human misery, degradation and suffering. As His disciples we have been chosen, from eternity, to follow in the footsteps of Him Who has trudged the same journey we are trudging right now. He was not Incarnated in a special humanity and we were gifted a less dignified version. So then, SAME FLESH, SAME SPIRIT...........

 Words that I remember from Palm Sunday's Liturgy, were, " let us then, with, a lively faith, go forward". These words I did my level best to emphasize. I saw them as a prerequisite for the whole week ahead for  both myself and the community I was leading. Always with deep, deep  trepidation !!! We are living, existing in a very tough, tough environment. We are journeying through, what some spiritual authors are calling, an experience of "the dark night of the soul."( There is not enough room to be able to rightly deal rightly with "the dark night of the soul", so I plead with you, please do the necessary.) This is a very demanding, challenging journey. It brings to the forefront the truth that our journey in faith, is a journey into, darkness. A journey into, not knowing what is ahead, having no sign posts, no map. It a journey we are reduced to taking one very careful step at a time. In dark faith we place one foot of the other. We do not take giant steps, we are back to baby steps. 

From the wisdom of those who have gone before, and written of this purification experience. I am happy to say, we do not come out in any way spiritually  poorer.  We slowly emerge come out with a knowledge, a gift of understanding, that was not there before. We are somehow enlightened with new understandings. Understandings that appear very subtly, they take us by surprise. How often has the question been asked, "where did that come from?" The Spirit does for us what is best for us. These are good days to have Thomas Merton's prayer " My lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I do not know for certain where it will end, Nor do I really know myself ....'' Provide yourself and all your friends with a more complete copy of this prayer of surrender. We will continue to refer to this prayer. So are you going to do it now, or when the fear-filled pain gets to the point of, " My God, My God, why have You forsaken me ?"                                        A blessed mysterious Holy Week !!!!! Gramps

 

I was born into the pre-Vatican church. Ordained in 1963, just as we were in the process of assimilating and adjusting to what the reforms were meant for our, day to day living. Here we are over 50 years later and we still have not come to grips the intentions of the council fathers. To be brutally honest, in the words of John XX 111rd , he was aware of the opposition in the Vatican from his closest advisers. Our prophetic Pope Francis is still wilt the present day opponents. The Holy Spirit does NOT make mistakes. Because what is being proposed challenges our issues of control does not make them wrong. No matter how much money is used to make the vitriolic opposition, somehow palatable. As it was with Pope John, so it is, with Francis today.

       I was formed in the  environment go guilt, fear and shame. I now refer to those death dealing, life suffocating realities as, " the toxic trinity'. Once immersed, it takes so much effort to let go of their lies and believe in the truth, a truth that "set us free'". Free to enjoy the life of, beloved daughter/son. A love that cannot be withdrawn fro us. We cannot loose "the prodigal, mercy-fullness " that is once gifted cannot be revoked. I have loved to following quote from Henri Nouwen from it's reading. " God's mercy is greater than our sins. There is an awareness of sin that does not lead to God, but to self preoccupation. Our temptation is to be so impressed with our sins and shortcomings that we get caught up in a paralyzing guilt. ( That is what we call toxic shame. Guilt is,I made a mistake. Shame is, I am a mistake). 

      Take it from me, and my long journey to the a life that is somewhat free of toxic shame, but not entirely free of the dehumanizing effects of the toxic trinity. I have to accept I never will be free of toxic shame, so I can embrace the energizing effects of healthy shame that leads to a life lived in the freedom of  being, beloved son.) It is the guilt that says my sins are too big for God's mercy, which is pride. It is that  guilt which has erroneously has made an idol out of my sins.". How long I have worshipped at that altar. Paying lips service to an  destructive idol, all the while denying myself real freedom. A freedom that will lead to a love that is unconditioned ,unlimited, and unrestricted. " Religiosity is for those who are afraid of gong to hell. Spirituality is for this who have been to hell." Sadly to say the embracing of a spirituality that is freeing is not a walk in the park. I have had to journey through many dark valleys so as be bathed in the amazing experience of the mountain of Transfiguration. ( This is a good place to rest, if only temporarily ) 

      We are now deep into the lenten, desert journey into a GROWING honesty. We will never be completely honest with ourselves. Oscar Wilde, " human beings can only deal with so much honesty". " When you are honest about your dishonesty, you are being honest," the message I received from my friend Fr. Tot many decades ago. Last week the closing sentence; " our spiritual garbage can, and does prevent from the vision necessary", for what? The vision of the depths of  infinite mercy-full love that awaits us in the  return to the arms of our Prodigal Mother/Father. The depths of mercy-full love can never be fully understood in this worldly existence. This Mercy-full love is infinite, and we finite, limited.

                Our spiritual garbage  will lay heavy upon us,  suffocating us ,as it were, if, and when we allow it. We all have garbage. I have lived in my home since 2007. I now am in the  process of working through all the  physical garbage I have accumulated since June of that year. What I now see as garbage did appear at one time, as necessary for an enjoyable life.  How many of us find that a journey to the grocery store,or for almost any store, will guarantee garbage.  The minimalist's  life has never been  the life  for me. I am Irish and some of my inherited character defects have gotten in the way. 

        As I am preparing to exit this life, this garbage work, is essential.  I have to face honestly both the physical spiritual garbage. Our spiritual garbage can be broken down into, GUILT---Anger---- Resentment---Boredom---Anxiety---Greed---Envy. That is an awe-full lot to process. That is why during Lent the Faith Community had a visual to help with this challenging process. There was a cave at the left side of the sanctuary. The same cave that was the cornerstone of our Christmas scene. Why use a cave ? The cave has been used since the beginning to describe the soul. Our soul is a cave, and it is therein we experience the Mysteries of Incarnation and Resurrection. One desert father's advice to a questioner was, " Go to your cave, and it will teach you everything." As it was,  so it is, and ever shall be, until, the end of time. 

    The First Sunday in Lent saw, preventing entrance to the cave big blocks  on which we written the seven words, that were written at the beginning of the last paragraph. Each week one large block was removed and placed in the midst of the community. It took me a couple of years to realize I was wrong in how I understood the placing of the blocks. Those first years I saw the blocks as preventing exit from the Paschal Mystery. From my reading I had to post my mistake, and teach the blocks prevent the entrance to to the cave, tomb, and not the exit.    ( A perfect exit for today. The journey is long, so expect more.)

                     A snack for the journey. The Lenten Desert and us. " Our own solitude awakens in a desert where we stand naked and alone in The Divine Presence-in such moments we know (without knowing) that god is, that we belong to him, and that, although in this life we will never understand how, God is forever drawing us to Himself." Today we add " drawing us to Herself." The Paschal Mystery is our home. We must gradually come to know, own  and accept that reality. Blessings on your mysterious, dramatic, and never dull adventure. Prayers for perseverance, to all, and for all. Great grandpa Joe.

  The parable of the prodigal Father, I am happy to share was the that which triggered a new awakening. It was a transforming awakening. To this moment I am still delving into its mysterious meanings. We awaken, and then we are reawakened, because of the efforts of The Gracious Creative Spirit. In the old days we used to use The Parable of The Prodigal Son, to describe this parable. But, bo more !!!!  Thanks to Henri Nouwen and his book on this parable we have been given a whole new understanding the actions of the threesome whose reality I had no clue about.

  Yes, are three presences to be considered, reflected upon, the rebellious son/daughter, the resent-full older brother/sister, and The Prodigal  Mother/Father. YES!!! there are three presences that must be encountered, not just one. All three must be reflected on until we are able to own all three realities within our depths. The deeper we go on this journey, adventure , that takes us  to the dark places we do not to own, in those depths of loneliness, self-hatred, nakedness, rejection, shame etc. Suddenly Light  begins to pierce the darkness and The Depths of The  Reality of Love  is revealed to us.  Who would have guessed ??? The Light of Unconditioned Love grows gradually brighter and brighter and the reality of what we learned about on Transfiguration Sunday , now is our experience. This dazzles us into an unknown reality. a reality not even dreamed of.  Who can challenge  The Power that is experienced by those who cry out from their place of poverty. The Psalmist councils us, " When the poor called out, The Lord heard and from all their distress He rescued him."

We are in tremendous need of clear- sightedness, honesty and courage to gradually embrace, and grow to love; the  rebellious young son/daughter, (the first half of life), the resent-full older son/daughter, (the second half of life), and The Prodigal Mother/Father who offers" unconditioned, unlimited, and unrestricted" prodigal, mercy-full Love. As we know from our journey into mercy, mercy is the love that heals us, soothes us, comforts us, protects us, transfigures us and transforms us. All this is too much to take in at first glance. It takes years to actively encounter all that is offered to us. We are always slowly growing understanding of the deep mystery of The Prodigal Father's love. The Prodigal Lover will ALWAYS give us what we need, not what we want. The acceptance of what is, is the secret. 

     The love revealed to us makes no sense to those with eyes clouded by the restriction imposed by common sense, or the binary way of seeing. The Father is not looking at the balance sheet. The resent-full brother sure is, and is ready to share the insanity of the Father's actions. He points out, " Look that son of yours,  ("NOT" my brother,) has blown half of our wealth, and now you have set him up to get half, of what is left." Get a grip  he is saying. You have lost your mind.  He does not use father or brother. Look at where resentment has taken him to ????.  He now has no family connectedness. He stands  alone in his resentment.

 To the practical eye, The Father has gone overboard. Yes !!! He has. This is  The One  who offers us love, that makes no sense. We are challenged to reflect on this parable until we embrace all that is being said about the dynamic that is alive and well, within our depths. Acceptance of the actions of Mercy-full moves us, shall we say blasts us, into the non-binary world. Our  spiritual garbage can, and does prevent us, from the vision necessary.

 An hors-d'oeure for,  Thursday !!!!!!

                                                  " When love awakens in your life, in the night of your heart, it is like the dawn breaking within you. Where before there was anonymity, now there is intimacy; where before there was fear, now there is courage; where before there was awkwardness, now there is a rhythm of grace and gracefulness; where before you used to be rugged,  now you elegant and in rhythm with your self. When love awakens in your life, it is like a rebirth, anew beginning."  (Anam Cara  by John O"Donoghue)

 You are invited to chew, masticate on that VERY SLOWLY in preparation, for what? The main course, takes some time, before it is served. The desert makes one very hungry, so here,  compulsivity is out, patience is the operative word. The main course is being worked on. This is very scary as I am heading for uncharted territory, as far as my journey is concerned. " I believe, Gracious Guide, help my disbelief.GPJ.

A Monday tidbit for the desert adventure. We never allow Hope, to be a stranger to us. 

     " I must now have faith in this love that touches me so deeply as to transcend me, leavening me as it were,   hanging in midair unable to find any footing  except in the unseen love that keeps drawing me beyond myself into a union with a God I cannot understand." "The  Awakening Call " James Finley.

 The Good Shepherd of the desert speaks of why he came, why he was sent: "I have come, that you may have life, and have it to the fullest". It stands to reason that if The Historical Rabbi Jesus came that we have life, then that same person has to  have life, within Himself. Lucky for us He is not selfish. He is, however, the essence of generosity. As one of The Trinity, Jesus, Lord, along with the Father and Spirit are in one continuous act of giving, of creating. As spiritual beings immersed in the human, it is our dignity to be welcome as fellow co-creators of the magnificent cosmos. A reality that is in continuous understanding of the mystery being worked out in our understanding of history. The " life" to be imparted is The Son's Life, as well as the life of the Father, and Holy Spirit. There is NEVER only one. When we encounter One, we are always in relationship with The Trinity.

   The life of Him we have come to address as Christ is the life continuously in our depths. From the moment of or creation in eternity that life is what gives us life. Never forget you are eternal, in origin and destiny. We need an ever deepening insight into that is this life we have been created with. What happened on The Mount of Transfiguration, was not only for the three amigos, Peter, James, and John but is intended for each one of us who are the contemporary three amigos. The chosen three, saw the life that was deep within, He Who came as THE giver of  all life. The Divinity broke through the chains of the human condition to be free in Its revelation, in this present moment to you and I. Yes ! there is never a moment that the Light revealed on The Mountain is  not now waiting within each of our depths to be revealed to a thirsting, broken, sightless, bigoted, alienated, etc. humanity. We  must reject the accepted heretical vision that we are only what we see.

                 During our Lenten Deserted journey we pray that we may grasp fully the lie we are expected to believe. We are not sheep, to be led by what is accepted wisdom, which so often hides denies the The Real Truth. Scott Peck had that book, "The People of the lie". As long as we all believe the same lie, then it must be the truth. We spend our whole lives, if we are unlucky enough, searching for The Truth. A Truth that came hidden within the human journey of Truth Itself, The Carpenter of Bethlehem. 

     Did you get a shock when you saw that word 'UNLUCKY"? Just as The Original Truth Revealer was crucified for He lived and taught, we too must respect crucifixion for our lives lived in our best imitation He who came as The Truth. He came to confront the lie, and the lie speakers. The Father of Lies, The Devil (the divider) hounds us will all sort of incentives to life the accepted lie, rather than follow the rocky road that leads to our continuous encounter with crucifixion and death.

 Paschal Death is never the end, it is ALWAYS the beginning. As it was Jesus, Who became The Christ, through His encounter with death, so it is with us. We are called to "trudge the rocky road that always leads to death and new life."' With each of our crucifixions we allow The Life of The Risen one, to break through our humanity to reveal the truth the universe is waiting for. We need our lenses to be constantly refocused, cleansed of the garbage picked up from the journey. 

   The Power of The Resurrection transforms all of our garbage into treasure. A treasure that is not to be stored selfishly away, but to be shared. Shared with those Whom the Giver of The Treasure will choose for us to encounter, and the one who will receive, without recompense, the gift gifted to us. Our garbage, is our treasure????? Counter cultural ??? Confronts the popular wisdom that garbage is to be hidden. The we become as sick as our secrets !!!!!! Courage is a gift to pray for, raw naked courage. Blessings, Great gramps as he deals with challenge to faith, that comes with the every moment confrontation with his own personal garbage.

   How is your desert journey ?  Is it challenging, disconcerting, uncomfortable , fear-filled, I invite you to add the challenges you are confronting you at this time. All of us are in the same boat, or should I say desert. All of us are meeting the moment to moment challenge of being; " Spiritual beings immersed in the human condition". What is bubbling up from within as the result of our destiny to be contemporary authentic living realities of The Suffering Servant, The Revelation of the unseen Divinity, the gospel writers of a contemporary gospel. Written, as were the original gospels, under the unique guidance of The Holy Spirit. The same one that worked with the human actions of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

              To carry the above thought further we are, as St.Paul writes " already citizens of Heaven, as we live upon the earth". That word live is a loaded word. Another, four letter word, to add to your acceptable vocabulary, to add balance to your ability to express yourself. Us Irish who have advanced degrees in bad language are in desperate need of acceptable four letter words. Many, many decades ago, I read the following , "we are called to live life, not merely exist". Yet there are billions of our sisters and brothers who are very lucky to be able to eke out a mere existence, while many more billions are living way beyond the lap of luxury. 

  Suffering is a mystery. Suffering is a sacrament. As we journey through the dark valley of suffering we are brought to face the stark reality of what it means to be human, limited, vulnerable,  and deficient in so many ways. We are faced with our powerlessness, and are forced to our knees to cry out " Lord, be with me for I am in trouble." As it was with the chosen people of old, so it is with you and I today. Our Gracious Mercy-full Creator "sees our afflictions, our trials, our oppression ".  In those moments, hours, days, weeks, even years The Savior sees our distress and from all our distress we are rescued. A person in trouble has to be able to surrender to the rescuer, otherwise there is no rescue. Right? 

        Got to be honest here. I can share with you the fact that I am reluctant, hesitant to accept help, until I am in the most pain. Then I have come to believe, It is then and there I am rescued from all my distress and broken-heart-then- ness. Yes, The Lord is close to the broken hearted and in each moment we are offer the grace necessary for us to exit the valley of despair and darkness into the Resurrected Light  of hope and brightness. Yes, it is true " no pain, no gain". No death, no Calvary, no Resurrection and new life. We will have CHOSEN to choose existence rather that be filled with all that is necessary "to have life and have it to the fullest ". This is what is offered in, "now is the acceptable time now is the time of Salvation.

              The Good Shepherd was "driven into the desert". Lucky for us. He awaits there to be our strength and guide. A Faith-full Good Shepherd who NEVER deserts His Lambs and sheep. We are lead to refreshing wells of life giving waters, springing up from our depths. So this is the outline of each person's Lenten Journey. It is NOT for just 6 weeks out of the 52. It is our felt experience  each of the 365 days. To be more specific now is when all of this is available to us. How do we accept the invitation, " Come back to Me with all your hearts , do not let fear keep us apart". We are told we journey through raw naked fear into an ever deepening intimacy. Let us all strive , as best we can, to embrace the stark reality, "Faith is a journey into uncertainty, not certainty." OH!. ! OH! OH! how I wish it was not so. For this in mysterious plan of The Gracious Creative Spirit. Who is always journeying through you, with you and within you.

                Is it not great, we only have to take one step at a time? There is death in the overloading the present moment. In this you go to war with the false self. A war we fight to our dying breath. Our ultimate surrender, that takes us to " new heavens and new earths." Fight the good fight and do your best to refrain from the darkness of powerlessness, which is your stepping stone to WHAT ?? Your personal honest answer." Honesty is progressive " ( As Bill sees It) Your fellow desert dweller,  wounded, wandering, and wondering........ Endlessly. 

                   First Sunday in Lent 2025. Penance is good for us. We do not like our encounters with acts of penance, but they are essential for growth on our individual and communal journeys. Our individual and communal journeys are always unique. That demands of us new lenses through which the newness is revealed to us. Usually very, very slowly., I may add. The penance I am challenging myself with, is to seek out some new material rather than rely on the old. For the last number of Lenten journeys I was depended on old  material written many years ago. It was easy, and convenient. That is what the spiritual journey is about. It challenges our comforts zones, and moves us out of them. Sometimes to quote St.Teresa of Avila, " we must be blasted out of the known, and familiar." Tough words from a saint ???? 

So this year I am going to make the effort to move beyond the patterns of the past, and strike out towards new horizons, and new understandings. As I have written our Lenten journey is our six week retreat, journey into our present understanding of our personal participation in The Paschal Mystery. It challenges to see in the here and now, the journey of Jesus so many centuries ago. As John O'Shea has written, "Jesus's story is our story today". Ready to let behind the familiar and journey into the land that lies behind and beyond the horizons. There are ONLY horizons to be met on the spiritual journey, not boundaries. We are always challenged to look for, the beyond and for the beyond the beyond. We are always having our eyes directed to what is before us, and the excitement of it"s newness. There is also fear to be encountered, as the false self who sees no value in this journey ,and will make every effort to sabotage the work at hand. As The Gracious Spirit never tires of pouring Love into us, so the Tempter, The Deceiver, The Divider never tires in his efforts to side track us, and sabotage the efforts.

                  2025 is offering us all real challenges to seek out the Paschal Mystery being forced of some of the most vulnerable of our sisters and brothers, who already have great sufferings to face and endure. It is reprehensible to accept in any way they  the piling on of bigotry, brutal anti gay, lesbian, and transgender rhetoric etc, etc,. America used to be proud to be called a Christian Country, today's explicit and covert actions sure do not measure up to what Gospel Spirituality reveals to us, and challenges us to live. 

We are told in The Gospel that " the Holy Spirit drove the Historical Jesus, The Rabbi to be, out into the desert. He had just heard the words, " This is My Beloved Son. That word, beloved, has a deep deep spiritual meaning.  We must be always ready to remind ourselves, and others of what it means to be beloved. The Beloved Son was not spared, dehumanization and alienation, As it was for the Historical Jesus, so it is for us who are the contemporary Presence of all that is revealed about Him in the gospel narratives. Being the beloved brings with it no promise of a " flower garden". On the contrary.

   As was written previously we need Psalm 103 ever before us, because of the challenge of our journey into our individual and communal deserts we will a constant well of mercy and hope from which to draw from. We are never called to an encounter with the cross and crucifixion, the we are NOT ALREADY strengthened to meet. My mothers's words have rang many times to alert me to the her wisdom, " The mills of God grind very slow, but they grind very true." Those words coupled with St. Paul's words, " We are never tested beyond our strength" have really helped the struggle in desperate times. The Rabbi Jesus went once to Calvary, but we are being exposed to all that Calvary was for Jesus, and that journey is repeated again and again. The mystery of suffering is journeyed into many, many times but why ? That is your personal question, not mine. It would be very presumptuous of me even to hazard a guess. As has been written " Ask the question, and live into the answer".

Trite answers do not fly any more. Unique answers are the answers for unique questions. Just remembered a quote of Fr. Karl Steumiller " It is only through our sufferings, CAN we have an audience with a God of faithfulness and compassion". Something to chew on ??. These are the meandering thoughts of an 85 year old who has encountered The Suffering Christ revealed behind many disguises. Love, prayers, and blessings, for a very unique encounter with The Greatest of Mysteries. Great gramps.