"He did not see any reason why the devil should have all the good tunes."
Rowland Hill [1744-1833]
Sermons. From E. W. Broome,
The Reverend Rowland Hill, p. 93
HAVE
YOU EVER GOTTEN
AN “Oh no!”?
The title of my homily is, “Have You Ever Gotten an “Oh
no!”
Years ago when I was stationed in Ohio, I got an,”Oh no!”
Have you ever gotten an “Oh no!”
Sometimes they hurt.
I went to a skin doctor – a dermatologist – who found some
pre-cancerous stuff on my forehead.I had
to put this skin stuff – white cream from out of a tube- on my forehead for a month.Then after the month was up I had to put
another type of cream – stuff that will heal the mess – for a second month.
Then “Presto!” I’d be handsome again.
He suggested January when I would not be on the road preaching.He said this because in two weeks my face
looked like peperoni pizza. I asked not to preach – but I could hear
confessions – in the dark.
It was back around 1998 when people used the confession
boxes almost always.
I was happy that people wouldn’t see my face – that is –
till this lady came in – and sat in a chair facing me.You could go to confession either way.
Well her head was down and I had my head in my hands. Then at
the end, when it came time to make the sign of the cross and give her
absolution, she saw my face as is – all red – all bloody – like a pizza as I
said.
I didn’t know what to do, but I put out my hand to shake
her hand and to say, “Go in peace.”She
didn’t know what to do either, so she shook my hand in return. That’s when I got the “Oh no!”
Then she took her hand asshe was standing up, She rubbed her hand on her backside – and got out
of there.
I said nothing.It
didn’t seem to be the time or the place to explain.
Then I said to myself, “So this is what people with leprosy
must have felt like at times.”
Then I inwardly added, “I got a sermon here. I got a sermon
here.”
"Would you hurt a man keenest, strike at his self-love."
Lew Wallace [1827-1903]
Ben Hur: A Tale of Christ [1880] bk. VI, 2
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
January 10, 2023
I DON’T REMEMBER
Before I was getting words,
I don’t remember any words,
any conversations with
my mom and dad from
any of my childhood days.
Sorry mom and dad. Sorry.
I just remember my mom putting
raspberry jam on breakfast toast
and my dad taking us to the park
on Sunday afternoons. Now
in my 80’s I have to tell myself
that words before 10 are pigeons
and birds long flown away.
But good thing my dad and
others had Brownie cameras
to take 1,000 black and white
photographs that I have to study
and analyze and put words to.
Reflections (c) Andy Costello
January 10, 2023
Quote for Today
"Two things fill the mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe; the more often and the more intensely, the mind of thought is drawn to them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me."
Immanuel Kant [1724-1804]
Critique of Practical Reason [1788]
Monday, January 9, 2023
January 9, 2023
SIMPLICITY
To be simple,
to not get caught up in the chase for stuff,
to not spend too much time and energy
figuring out other’s motives,
to let go of wanting everything to go my way,
to say what I mean and mean what I say,
to have balance in my life, in my prayer,
my work, my time, my fun, my friends.
To be simple is to be calm and to avoid agitation.
To be simple,
is to avoid trying to juggle too much.
To be simple,
is to allow and to acknowledge others
to be far more gifted than I am,
to know there is lot more,
but so what?
To be simple is to relax,
knowing I came into this world with my own skin, to know I’ll be going out the same way a bit more wrinkled with some scars and warts,
