July 11, 2019

MONTE  CASSINO

81 miles - southeast of Rome - is Monte

Cassino.  If you ever get to Rome, get to

Cassino. Go to the mountain!

If you do, you’ll be standing on history.

It’s been the place of religion and power

through the centuries: BC and  AD.

It’s been bombed and blasted - sacked

and rebuilt - over and over again. It’s the

place Benedict and monks praised God.

People died here, cried here, worshiped

and watched from here - and waves of

soldiers climbed and clawed to the top.

Monte Cassino - if you get there, wonder

there, get what happened here, you’ll say

“I’ve been to the mountain!” in a new way.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July  11, 2019

Thought for today:


“Theology is an incubus that a humanist can never shake off.  He may seek refuge from theism in atheism or from animism in materialism.  But after each desperate twist and turn he will find himself committed to some theological position or other. Theology is inescapable, and it is dynamite.”   

A.J.  Toynbee, A Study of History, 

Volume XII, Reconsiderations, 1961

July 10, 2019

SANDBOX

Who was the first person who came up

with a sandbox as a way to keep kids busy?

All that is needed is sand and water,

a small shovel and a small pail.

It’s perfect for kids learning  

to play together and to be creative.

Dig, hide, build, to prepare them for

bigger projects at the summer beach.

Wait! Take pictures - watch what they

are doing - you’re seeing their future.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July 10, 2019

Thought for today:

“Hatred for Judaism is at bottom hatred for Christianity.”  

Sigmund Freud, 

Moses and Monotheism, 1939

July 9, 2019

SWING

Who was the first person who came up

with a swing as a way to keep kids busy?

Was it just a rope or a vine? Did the kid

just swing back and forth imitating Tarzan?

Was it with a piece of wood - a swing -

to sit on and sail through the air on?

The face tells everything whether or not

we’re enjoying the back and forth called "Life."

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July  9, 2019

Thought for today:

“The only sin which we never forgive in each other is a difference of opinion.”  

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Clubs 1877

July  8, 2019 -

Thought for today:

“I am the vessel.  The  draft is God’s.  And God is  the  thirsty  one.”  

Dag Hammarskjold,  

Markings, 1964

July 8, 2019

SEESAW

Who was the first person who set up

a plank as a seesaw to keep kids busy?

Did they realize it would bring laughter

and joy - besides great teaching?

Life: it calls for balance if you

want to keep things fair and funny.

Life: it has its ups and downs and

the biggest kid can stop the game.

Life: how you see and what you see

depends on where you’re seeing from.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July 7, 2019

INCOMPETENCE

Passing by a full length mirror

I stopped to look and saw only

myself: Framed Incompetence.

“Oooooh!” That hurt! Big time.

But to be self-honest, I spotted

in the mirror broken promises

and a lot of unfinished business.

“Oooooh!” That hurt! Big time.

I looked away from the mirror

to look at others - to see their

faults - their incompetences.

“Oooooh!” They too hurt! Big time.

I went back to the mirror.

I went back to myself.

I realized that’s where I must begin.

“Oooooh!”  Where I hurt.

Looking in a mirror is judgment time

and it’s where I hurt I must retell love

into myself - in the places where I hurt.

“Oooooh! Lord. That  feels right.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July  7, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Fanaticism is … overcompensation for doubt.”  

Robertson Davies, 

in The Manicore, 

Viking, 1972

July  6, 2019 

Thought for today:

“The bagel [is] an unsweetened doughnut with rigor mortis.” 

Beatrice and Ira Henry Freeman, 

“About Bagels”, New York Times, 

May 22, 1960

July 6, 2019

POLLY  NOSES

It’s now summer, so one has 

to wait for autumn for pollynoses …. 

But I spotted one today in the 

hedges - just doing nothing …. 

I’m sure it enjoyed its helicopter 

ride down from some maple tree …. 

But that was it …. never peeled - 

never stuck at the end of some nose …. 

Me?  I want the whole deal - growth - the 

ride - the rain - the fun - becoming a new tree. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July 5, 2019

DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS

There is always background ….

We heard the song a long time ago

- but it was by a different singer or we

were dancing with a different person ….

Ice cream - mashed potatoes - or

Route 97 means something different

to different people.  Of course ….

But instead of accepting differences,

we are self-centered and think everyone

is thinking exactly the same, same way.

There are always different backgrounds ….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July  5, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Divorce is the psychological equivalent of a triple  coronary by-pass.  After such a  monumental assault on the heart, it takes years to amend all the habits and attitudes that led up to it.” 

Mary Kay Blakely, in Parade, July 12, 1987.   

Having recently had a triple coronary by-pass, 

I spotted this comment and will think about it big time.

July 4, 2019

GREAT  AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Your greatest moment?

Your greatest fear?

Your greatest learning?
Your greatest question?

Your greatest compliment?

Your greatest God moment?

Your greatest faith doubt?

Your greatest act of faith?

Your greatest loss?

Your greatest, “I wonder ______?”

Your greatest, “I hope ________?”

Your greatest, “I think ________”

The greatest person you have met?

The greatest place you visited?
My parents ....?
My friends ....?
My teachers ....?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July  4, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Hunting God is a great adventure.” 

Marie de Floris, OSB.   She said this to novices making their first  vows. Quoted b y Peter Beach and William Dunphy, Benedictine and Moor, Holt, Rinehart and Winston.  1960

July 3, 2019

HEAD  SPIRITUAL  EXERCISE

 [This takes 10  minutes - only 10 minutes.]

Become aware of your head - your capital -

inside and outside - everything above your neck.

Using both hands touch the top of your head,

then your ears, eyes, nose, lips, chin, cheeks.

With the tips of your fingers play with the top

of your head - rubbing your skull - hair or no hair.

Touching your head, thank the Lord for your mind,  memory, thoughts, and all your stories. 

Touching your eyes - thank the Lord for what   you have seen so far. Choose 10 top sights.

Touching your nose, thank the Lord for your gift of scent - especially  fragrances you love.

Touching your mouth,  thank  the Lord for your mouth - your favorite words - your communions.

Touching your mouth thank the Lord for favorite meals, deserts, and drinks like Root Beer Floats.

Hands covering your face, say a prayer that

people who see you, see a smile and your joy.

[Do this  for 10 minutes - only 10 minutes.]

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July  3, 2019

Thought for today:

“Last night I dreamed of a small consolation enjoyed only by the blind: Nobody knows the trouble I’ve not seen.”  

James Thurber, 

on his failing eyesight. 

Newsweek, June 16, 1958

July 2, 2019

  

FOOT   SPIRITUAL   EXERCISE

 [This takes 10  minutes - only 10 minutes.]

Have no socks on. Cross your legs so

your right foot can be easy in  hand!

Begin by massaging your right foot

with both hands for about 5 minutes.

Do your toes - separating your toes -

freely rubbing  them  - appreciating them.

Next still rubbing each toe, pick 5 places

these feet have brought you to in your life.

Next do the same with your left foot,

toes, heel, sole, ankle, all your foot.

Once more while rubbing each toe, pick

5 places these feet have brought you to.

A practice for this exercise could be to soak

both feet in warm water with Epsom Salts.

Another practice would be to read before

you do this exercise John 13: 1-20.

[Do this  for 10 minutes - only 10 minutes.]

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July  2, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“He doesn’t know what he means, and doesn’t know he  doesn’t  know.” 

F. F. Leavis, Two Cultures? 

The Significance of C P  

Snow, Pantheon, 1963

CALMING  HANDS  EXERCISE 

[This  takes 10  minutes - only 10 minutes.] 

Sitting down - take your right hand ….

Hold it up and out and rub it

calmly with your left hand.

Feel your left thumb and fingers massaging

your right hand - thumb - and fingers - front

and back and each part  front and back.

Bending, rubbing, massaging …

Now do the same with your right hand

and fingers to your left hand.

Now after five minutes - doing both hands -

bring the palms of both hands together

in the classic form of praying hands.

With eyes closed feel the skin of both

hands touching - palm to palm - finger tips

to finger tips - calm - peace -  those palms.

[Do this  for 10 minutes - only 10 minutes.]

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019
Praying Hands: Albrecht  Durer [1471-1528]

July  1, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Till I was 13,  I thought my name was ‘Shut  Up.’”  

Joe Namath, I Can’t 
Wait  until Tomorrow, 

Random House, 1969

June 30, 2019

HANDMADE 

  

We make steel swords and blades….

God makes blades of green grass….

We make clubs and police billy sticks …

God makes willow and oak trees ….

We make guns and howitzers ….

God creates the gentle breeze  ….

We take rocks and throw them ….

God creates Mount Everest ….

We spit words of complaint  at each other ….

God speaks the Word made flesh to us ….

We make walls to wall each other out ….

God makes paths that can lead to peace ….

Okay we make strawberry sundaes ….

And God creates volcanoes of fire ….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

June  30, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“When they boo you,  you know they mean you.”  

George Halas  on San Francisco,  

his “favorite  booing  city,”   

recalled on his death, Oct. 31, 1983. 

June 29, 2019

 YAWN 

A  yawn, 

a universal, all languages, message, 

like a crossing guard’s hand signal 

to stop everything 

and let another’s being to catch up 

with itself and then get back to where 

it was and where it was going. 

Oh, “Hi!” and “Hello!” 

“Now what were you trying to say?” 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

June  29, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“I hope,  when I stop,  people will think that I mattered.”  

Martina Navratilova, 

International Herald Tribune, 

July 22, 1986.

WALKING  INTO

Walking into ….

Yes I do a lot of that in a lifetime. 

Front doors, side doors, glass,

opened, closed, hesitant … doors …. 

I look around: I see faces. Who’s there? 

What’s there?  Now what? I pause. 

Life …. I’ve been in a lot of places,

a lot of spaces, a lot of lives …. 

Now what? How many more doors do I enter

before I'll then end up being carried out? 

Ok, there is always the background music - while I trust  in God there is no, “That’s it!” 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

June  28, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Science is what you know, philosophy is what you don’t know.”  

Bertrand Russell, 

Quoted by Alan Wood, 

Bertrand Russell,  

Simon and Schuster, 1958

June 27, 2019

PERPETUAL  HELP

Now that’s quite a job description

for anyone to post: “Perpetual Help!”

To be there when one is a baby:

obviously. Every mother does that.

To be there when a couple runs

out of wine at their wedding: wonderful.

To be there when one has to carry their

cross to death on the hill called “Calvary”.

And to be doing that ever since for the

helpless, the hurting the shoeless. Amen.

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

June 27, 

Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

June  27, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Prayer for many is like a foreign land.  When we go there, we go as tourists.  Like most tourists, we feel uncomfortable and out of place.  Like most tourists, we therefore move on before too long and go somewhere else.”  

Robert McAfee Brown, 

Introduction to John B. Coburn, 

Prayer and Personal Religion, 

Westminster, 1967

June 26, 2019

PRAYER

It can be formal with chiseled words - 

from a heavy ritual book with ribbons - 

but most prayers are screams from 

people all around the planet seeing 

a fabulous sunset or waterfall and

feeling “Wow!” or blurting out, 
"Oh my God!" or it could be a sudden

shrieked yell for “Help!”  in a car as

it’s crashing and smashing into the

car in front of it on Route 95 - or

just a  grandparent’s prayer for their

daughter’s kid heading off to college.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

June  26, 2019 

Thought for today:

“It is as impossible for man to demonstrate the  existence  of God as it would be for even  Sherlock Holmes to demonstrate the existence of Arthur Conan Doyle.”  

Frederick Buechner, 

Wishful Thinking: 

a Thelogical ABC, 

Harper and Row, 1973

June  25, 2019

A DOZEN YELLOW ROSES

I was sick and surprise,

someone sent  me

a dozen yellow roses.

Now they are sick.

The petals are starting

to crumble and fade.

But I’m getting better

Is this the way life works?

Substitution and comparison?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

June  25, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“I was a 14-year-old boy for 30 years.” 

Mickey Rooney on his  roles  in movies. 

Quoted in New York Journal American, 

April 15, 1958