December 1, 2023
Reflection
Friday, December 1, 2023
Monday, November 27, 2023
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Friday, November 17, 2023
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Monday, November 13, 2023
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Friday, November 10, 2023
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
November 7. 2023
Quote for Today
“Don’t be so gloomy. After all it’s not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”
Orson Wellls,
The Third Man
Monday, November 6, 2023
Sunday, November 5, 2023
Saturday, November 4, 2023
Friday, November 3, 2023
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Monday, October 30, 2023
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Saturday, October 28, 2023
Friday, October 27, 2023
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Monday, October 23, 2023
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Monday, October 16, 2023
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Monday, October 9, 2023
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Friday, October 6, 2023
Thursday, October 5, 2023
October 5, 2023
GRACE
It
takes grace
to
back one's friends -
to
give one's life for a dream:
liberty,
freedom, to have our own country
It
takes grace
to
marry one's friend -
even
though it might mean
only
15 minutes of marriage together.
It
takes grace
to
write a song
not
knowing what it will bring
to
life in those who hear it.
© Reflections, Andy Costello
October 4, 2023
10 COMMENTS ABOUT FRANCIS.
Today is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. I
checked out a few articles about him and picked out 10 comments to make about Francis.
You can do a lot of things in 44 years. Francis did. Check out his life in and around
1181 to 1226.
It’s 2023 – over 800 years
later - people are still
following his views, visions, vocation. Pope Francis for example chose his name
and example,
Take care of creation: the birds, the wolves – trees and
water – and all that surrounds you.
Christmas and Christ – Bethlehem and Calvary - the cross and cuts – all with Christ – at
hand - when they happen to you - can help.
Fear, shadows, death – don’t worry about them. There’s
always light and dawn
Don’t forget the poor. Cardinal Claudio Hummes told Jorge
Bergoglio that when he was chosen to be our pope. That’s why he took Francis
name.
Simplicity is a good way
to do life.
Repair my church – not the building.
Do all you can to preach the gospel – sometimes you might
have to use words.
Assisi: visit it – if you can – or at least read Francis
life – or visit it on line.
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Friday, September 29, 2023
September 29, 2023
Quote for Today
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Michael Jordan (Nike ‘Failure’ Commercial; 15 Amazing Commercials To Inspire the Greatness in You)
Thursday, September 28, 2023
September 28, 2023
Quote for Today
“Marriage is so unlike everything else. There is something even awful in the nearness it brings. Even if we loved someone else better than - than those we were married to, it would be no use. I mean, marriage drinks up all our power of giving or getting any blessedness in that sort of love. I know it may be very dear, but it murders our marriage, and then the marriage stays with us like a murder, and everything else is gone.”
George Eliot
Marianne Evans Cross [1819-1880],
Middlemarch (1871-1872)
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
September 26, 2023
To care about others ….
To hope their marriages work …
even though
sometimes marriages don’t.
To see people in wheelchairs
and hope they get better.
To feel heart storms
as kids get yelled at
by angry parents.
To become overwhelmed
with joy when someone does
volunteer work for others.
© Reflections,
Andy Costello
Monday, September 25, 2023
September 25. 2023
HOW YOU DEAL
WITH A BITTER DEAL
Some people get a bitter deal.
Some get a better deal than others,
We wake up some mornings
and all goes well for the day.
But some days all goes wrong.
Sometimes it’s not our fault
when the yoke breaks.
Sometimes it is our fault.
What we do next is what’s
important – especially if we
love scrambled eggs.
© Reflections,
Andy Costello
Sunday, September 24, 2023
September 24, 2023
JUST NOW
Just now: that’s all we get.
Just now.
We forget on purpose.
We try to slide away
from what we promised.
We lie lies we call something else.
We get stuck in the mistakes
the regrets and the what if’s.
We get caught up in the plans
we never put into practice.
Too many words take over.
We forget that some people
listen, remember, are well
aware of what is going on just now.
We're not.
© Reflections,
Andy Costello
Saturday, September 23, 2023
SEPTEMBER 23, 2023
MOTION
Show me some motion
and some emotion as well.
Show me you’re alive.
Do some kicking.
Tell me some history –
a story or two.
Where have you been
since the last time I saw you?
Better and fuller: what have
you been doing since
the last time I saw you?
© Reflections,
Andy Costello
Friday, September 22, 2023
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
September 20, 2023
24 Wednesday OT - Feast of the Korean Martyrs
SOMETIMES
YOU JUST CAN’T WIN
The title of my thoughts for today is, “Sometimes You Just Can’t Win."
Jesus ran into a lot of problems with people – especially
the Pharisees.
If someone is against you, they’ll always find something to
criticize about you.
In today’s gospel – it sounds like Jesus speaks out of big
time frustration. Jesus says you're like little kids on the street. You want music, so we give you flute music, so you can dance, but you won’t dance. So we play you a sad song, a
dirge, but you won’t cry.
Sometimes you just can't win.
He continues: You went after John the Baptist, when he fasted – saying he
had demons – so he was nuts. I ate and drank, so you said I was a drunk.
Once more: In other words, sometimes you just can’t win.
St. Alphonsus started with 9 guys – but most of them –
disappeared. Sometimes you just can’t win.
In 1991 - 3 Redemptorists went to Korea – a Filipino, a Thai,
and a Korean from Brazil. Here it is 2023 and we have only about 10 guys there.
The guys there are called by a Chinese word – Gooseokjoohwe - a name that goes like that. It means the community who are
here for the poorest and most abandoned and neglected folks.
They keep trying to be called Redemptorists – but they have no luck with
that. Sometimes you just can’t win.
Catholics came to Korea in 1592. In 1789 there 4000
Catholics – but surprise, that happened without ever seeing a priest. Sometimes
you win. By 1800 they had close to 10,000 Catholics – but 8 to 10 thousand were
killed.
In 1925 and 1984 many were beatified and canonized – we’re
celebrating some of them today – September 20th.
Sometimes we lose – sometimes we win. I guess we have to
expect winning and losing to happen – and be able to deal with both. I prefer
the wins.
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
September 19, 2023
EVERY
TIME
He drops over to talk to me.
He tells me a story.
It triggers a story in me.
I begin telling him my story.
He looks at his watch.
It happens every time.
Why don’t I just listen?
Why don’t I ask him a
follow up question
to his story? I don’t.
I jump over to myself.
I do that every time.
When will I ever learn?
© Reflections,
Andy Costello
Monday, September 18, 2023
Sunday, September 17, 2023
September 17, 2023
Homily for 24 Sunday OT A
NEW
TESTMENT MATHEMATICS
The title of my homily is, “New Testament Mathematics.”
In today’s gospel from Matthew we’re told to forgive 77
times. There are variations of this theme of forgiving 7 times – or 70 times 7
times or 77 times in the 4 gospels.
Jesus liked numbers. We see them in his parables. There are
the 2 brothers – one younger and one older – in the Parable of the Prodigal
Son. There are the 10 bridesmaids: 5 foolish, 5 wise in that parable. There are
a couple of parables of kings and masters giving servants coins or talents –
and then telling them to do something with them. He told the story of the 7
brothers who died after marrying the same woman.
Jesus fed thousands – with just a few fish and a few loaves
of bread.
Jesus said no one
can serve 2 Masters.
He said there are 6 days for working and 1 day for rest.
Jesus healed 10 people who had leprosy and only 1 came back
to say, “Thank you.”
Jesus talked to the woman at the well and said, “Hey you
had 5 husbands and the 1 you’re with now is not your husband.”
Jesus knew numbers.
He saw the 2 brothers at the Lake: Peter and Andrew - and also 2 other brothers: James and John. He
called all 4 – and others. He sent his disciples out: 2 by 2. He picked 12 as apostles, even though 1 would betray him
and 1 would deny him 3 times. He said where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my
name, there I am in the midst of you.
He talked about family fights – 2 against 3 and 3 against
2.
So Jesus knew life and the number or times we need to
forgive each other our trespasses each day.
He knew the mathematics of forgiveness and the mathematics
of life.
I’ll have one glass of cold water and drink to that,
September 17, 2023
EXPANSION
The refrigerator, the sink,
the stove, the kitchen table.
They were the key players
in the house as he grew up –
and of course, there was
mom and dad and his brother
and sisters – sometimes cousins.
Then came the radio – this was
before television and the computer.
Surprise! The key was the front door.
Once that was open – the world
out there was ready to be explored:
school, church, the playground,
the movies, Coney Island,
Ebbet’s Field, Bliss Park
and the Staten Island Ferry.
I guess all one needs at first
is someone to take you and
pay your tolls and your tickets –
and the world is your’s.
© Reflections,
Andy Costello
Saturday, September 16, 2023
September 16, 2023
LOOKING FOR
A BRIDGE
At times I spend half my time
looking for a bridge,
looking for a way to get
to the other side of
where I am right now.
It seems I’m stuck
looking for a solution,
but I can’t find one.
I see the water.
I see the other side.
I see the difficulty I’m in,
but stuck still stares
me in the face – but I’m also
stuck searching for a solution.
© Reflections,
Andy Costello
Friday, September 15, 2023
September 15, 2023
Reflection
HURRY!
Unlike nature – unlike creation –
too often I’m in a hurry – I’m in
a rush. Flowers, babies, healings
take their time. They do. Not me.
A poem, a painting, a pause,
take time to figure out what
I really want to say, what I really
want to do. They do. Not me.
Today took a long time to arrive.
Today took a long time to get here.
Today I tried slow a bit more
I listened to what I tend to miss.
Good boy …. Good day…. Good life….
©
Reflections, Andy Costello
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