November  28,, 2020

 

PLANTING AND PICKING FRUIT

He spent six months buying and then
planting cherry, apple, pear  and plum
trees – all around the property he had
recently bought – after coming home
from 5 long years fighting in a foreign land.
 
It was what kept him alive in battle and in
terror – seeing trees growing, blossoming,
reaching for  the blue skies – seeing pies
and jams and hands holding delicious
cherries, apples, pears and plums.

Life: an orchard, a wife and kids, family
at the kitchen table, at work, with dirt on
hands and the scent of fruit on flannel
shirts and blue jeans – and God enough to
wipe away the scent of those he killed in battle.

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

November 28, 2020

 

Thought for Today

 

“If you can laugh at your mistakes,  you’ll be much happier.”

November  27,  2020

COULDN’T  TELL  A  JOKE

 

It happened to him three times.
He’d tell a joke and nobody laughed.
And then there was silence.
 
Then one of those who heard it,
told it and got a good laugh – and
he was in the crowd who heard it.
 
It happened again a second time
and then again, a third time – and both
times it crushed and mushed him.
 
While driving home alone that night
he mumbled to himself: “This has
been happening to me all my life.”
 
It happened to him in high school.
He got a C – for a story that took
him two whole weeks to write.
 
Another kid heard him tell it to
another kid on the bus. That kid
sort of rewrote it and got an A +.
 
Who said, “Life is fair"?
 
He was telling this to his grandfather
who said, “There were 3 crucifixions
that day – not just Jesus.”
 
Years later he told someone that in
another context and someone overheard
him and told him, “That was a great insight.”

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

 November 27, 2020

 

Thought for Today

“If there is no appointed time for prayer,  soon there will no time at all for prayer.”

 

Someone

November 26, 2020

 

GETTING WHAT WE WANT –

WANTING WHAT WE GET

 

Sometimes we want what we

want and get what we want.

 

And sometimes we don’t.

 

And sometimes when we get

what we want – we find out we

really didn’t want what we got.

 

And then we whine and protest

till we get rid of want we wanted.

 

And then we realize we really

wanted what we got rid of.

 

And sometimes – we luck out

and get back what we got rid of

 

And sometimes we don’t.

 

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

November 26, 2020

 

Thought for Today

 

“The roots of happiness grow deepest in the soil of service.”

Someone

SEVEN

 

 

The title of my homily for this 33 Wednesday in Ordinary Time is “Seven!”

 

We’ve been listening to the Book of Revelation lately.

 

Did you notice that it features numbers?

 

I have run into people who are very much into numerology.  I’m not, but I am interested in what people are interested into. So here comes a few thoughts about numbers - especially the number seven.

 

A question: Do you have a favorite number?  If you were asked to pick a number, what number would you pick?

 

I  pick 5 for some reason. At times in life, when I see foggy windows or mirrors,  I write the number 5 with my index finger.  And then that number  fades and disappears.

 

Well, today’s first reading from the book of Revelation talks about seven angels and the seven last plagues.

 

I went through the Book of Revelation last night and I found 18 different categories of seven: seven churches, seven spirits, seven lampstands, seven stars, seven flaming torches, seven seals, seven horns, seven eyes, seven angels, seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven golden bowls, seven loaves of bread, seven diadems, seven final plagues, seven kings, seven hills, seven heads.

 

The Book of Revelation is interesting, complex, confusing, mysterious, puzzling, head scratching and – tricky. That’s seven for starters.

 

Read it and I’m sure you find out that there is something about numbers in its codes and symbols.

 

Numbers can make life interesting.

 

We have 7 priests at San Alfonso.

 

There are 7 days in a week.

 

But in American money, there is no seven dollar bill.

 

What number do you wonder about – if any?

 

In God there are 3 persons.

 

In Christ there are two natures: human and divine.

 

The kid in the gospel has 7 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

 

We are to forgive each other at least 7 times – 70 times 7 times.

 

There are 7 sacraments - but there are 10 commandments.

 

I’m writing a book – called the 8^th Secret of Happiness. It’s seven secrets plus one. The eight secret is to do the other 7.

 

So, for a homily thought, do you have a favorite number?

 

For a second homily thought, what would be your 7 secrets of happiness.

 

And do you have any secrets of wisdom. If you say, “Yes” what are they.  Jot them down.

 

There it is – a way to end this homily.

 

Today’s gospel from Luke 21: 12-19 says you won’t know what to say when speaking. I know I don’t – other than saying that today’s first reading uses the number 7 – and he Book of Revelation. So why not jot down answers to these 7 questions:

 

The 7 most interesting people you have met?

 

The 7 questions you have for God when you meet God?

 

The 7 best books you’ve read?

 

The 7 best places you’ve been in?

The 7 best meals you’ve been at?

 

The 7 best memories in your head?

 

The 7 best sermons you’ve ever heard?

 

Okay,  make your favorite number to be one million.

 

 

 

 November 25,  2020

JUST   IN   TIME

It’s never too late to say,
“Thank you!” or “Time out!”
 
It’s never too late to say,
“How are you doing?”
 
It’s never too late to say,
“Forgive me for neglecting you.”
 
It’s never too late to say,
“We still have time to say a lot more.”
 

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

November 25, 2020

 

Thought for Today

 

“A reformer is someone who wants his conscience to be your guide.”

Anonymous

November 24, 2020

 BAPTISM

  

Many of us were babies when
we were baptized, so its effects
were felt more by our families.
 
Some Christian groups put
baptism off till we can make
that a more conscious choice.
 
Early Christians like Augustine had
their  baptism put off till they were
adults  so as to get its full benefits
 
What we might miss are the thousands
of baths and showers and trips to the
ocean that can impact our lives.
 
So too the renewal of our baptismal
vows every Easter and Sundays when
we can begin a Mass with a Baptismal renewal.
 
So too the taking of Holy Water when we
walk into and leave a church service in the
name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

 

 

 November  23,  2020

THE  NIGHT  BEFORE  YOU  DIE

 

Wouldn’t it be great 

if you too knew the 

meaning of life on the
night before you died –

like Jesus - at your last supper?
 
Be seed. Get planted.
Grow. Become wheat.
Become the harvest.
Become flour.
Become bread.
 
Become part of the vine.
Grow. Become grapes.
Get picked.
Get crushed.
Become wine.
 
Then say to the world.
Take me. Eat me.
Become me.
Become you.
Become life for the world.

 

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

November  23, 2020

 

Thought for Today

“Confess your sins, not your neighbor’s.”

HOW  TO  FEEL  FREE

 
Zip your lip: No SA comments.
Walk: Do a lot of walking.
Follow your conscience.
Watch birds – unless you’re driving.
Thank. Do a lot of thanking –
    of God and others.
Respect others.
Say what you want to say,
    but timing is everything.
Know what you know,
    but say, “I don’t know!”
    when you don’t know.
You are. God is,
    but you’re not God.
Eat. Taste. Enjoy,
    but don’t overeat.
Work what you’re worth.
Today is today,
    tomorrow is tomorrow,
    yesterday was yesterday.
You got gifts, use them;
    others got gifts, respect them
Sing – even if others say you can’t,
    but  you want to.
Remember and practice  Jesus’ big three:
    “Love one another.”
    "Fear not!" or “Do not be afraid.”
    “The truth will set you free.”

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

November 22, 2020

Thought for Today

“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so,…”

 

Shakespeare, Hamlet

Ponder that for the rest

of your nights

Painting: The Son of Man 

by Rene Magritte.