October  28, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“The metaphor is probably the most fertile power possessed by man.”  

Jose Ortega y Gasset, 

The Dehumanization of Art -

an essay in Spanish, 1925.

Then Princeton published 

the first English translation 

of the essay paired with another 

entitled "Notes on the Novel." 

Three essays were later added 

to make an expanded edition, 

published in 1968, under the 

title The Dehumanization of Art 

and Other Essays on Art, 

Culture and Literature .

October 27,  2019

BUDDHA

I’m no Buddha.

I’d get leg cramps

if I had to sit like the Buddha all day.

I wouldn’t notice

kids playing or nudging

each other if my eyes

were closed like that all day.

Well, then are you the Christ?

I talk to people at water fountains.

I see sparrows and learn lessons

from the flowers of the field.

I’m ready to share my bread and wine.

But to be honest,

I’m not ready to pick up a cross each day.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  27th, 2019

Thought for today: 

“I have a memory like an elephant. In fact elephants often consult me.”  

Noel Coward. Quoted 

J. K. Galbraith  in 

A Life In Our Times 1981]

IF  I  WERE  A  TREE?

If I were a tree, what kind of a tree would I want to be?

Would I want to be a redwood tree and last at least 923  years?

Would I want to be an olive tree and last 1000 or is it 2000 years in the garden of Gethsemane?

Would I want to be a palm tree giving palm oil and gracious shakes and shimmies  to all looking at me down at  a beach?

Would I want to be an apple tree sending forth apple blossom scents  in the spring and handing out delicious red apples in the fall?

Would I want to be a Christmas tree - all decked out with the finest of ornaments, with gifts left at my feet, indoors, on a rug or a neat wooden floor -  being the background  for dozens of photos and the cause of a 1000 smiles - but by the way, I’m dead?

Would I want to be a banana tree bringing delicious bananas to the breakfast table and be the cause of swing to dozens and dozens of frisky monkeys?

Would I want to be the tree of the cross - being a back and then the death bed for Jesus - becoming the symbol for Christianity?

Would I want to be a mighty oak tree - a sign of hope and a symbol of  strength for an old man sitting on a nursing home porch?

Would I want to be a weeping willow tree - near a small pond on the side -  of a side road - in the suburbs?

Would I want to be a Japanese cherry blossom tree that thousands come to see every spring in Washington D.C. - telling us countries can share beauty and life with each other.

Would I want to be a fig tree  caught by a farmer for doing nothing - but given a 2^nd chance - but now am  living under the gun needing to produce?

If I were a tree, what kind of a tree would I love to be?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

[This was a fun reflection on the  parable of the Fig Tree in today’s gospel Luke 13: 1-9 - for the 29^th Saturday in Ordinary Time.  I know a few people who know all about trees - and types of trees, but I’m treeologically illiterate - so here was an attempt to bring in something about different trees.]

October 26, 2019

OVERHEARD  FROM KIDS 

ON  THE  NEXT  TABLE 

“Like what?”

“I do.”

 “Me too.”
“This is better.”

“Oh yeah.”

“I understand.”

“I like.”

“I did that one.”

“I’ll kill you.”

“Cool.”

“Yeah, give me one.”

“I’ll never go there.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Unbelievable.”

“So boring.”

“I know what class she’s in....”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  26, 2019 -

Thought for today:

“Few people can be happy unless they hate some other person, nation or creed.” 

Bertrand Russell, 

Autobiography, 1961

DIG  DEEP  INTO  ANYWHERE

To read, to know, the history

of the place where we come from,

one has to dig deep into the

soil of the place we’re looking at.

Our shovel, our mind, our eyes will

hit blood and rock and injustice.

Little will be written, if anything. That’s

the stuff written of kings and the rich.

Yet, our roots, our stories, our tears, can

still be  found in  soggy dirt with bogged

down pieces of skull. Our ancestors were

here and praise God, we can dig here. Amen 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  25, 2019

Thought for today: 

“The Church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state but rather the conscience of the state.”  

Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Strength to Love, 1963

DIVISION

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 29 Thursday in Ordinary Time is, “Division”.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel - on first hearing - evoked an, “Oh no!” from me.

Oh no - here’s Jesus - saying, “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division.”

Then Jesus  talks about division in families: three against two and two against three.  A father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against  her mother, a mother-in-law her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Down through the ages did scribes - monks  -  printers - doing the Book of Kells or the Lindisfarne scriptures - or the Guttenberg Bible - or any transcriber of the Gospels - say the same, “Oh no!” upon coming to this wall of words - a wall that divides people from people.  Did they say, “What about those other words Jesus told us about forgiveness - for example forgiving 70 times 7 times and bringing peace to the rooms we enter?”

STEPPING BACK

Stepping back, sitting back, pondering these words of Jesus, after saying, “Oh no!”  I said, “Oh yes, there is plenty of family division - church division - political division.”

Next I said, “You were taught  all these Gospel texts were put there to deal with stuff in Christian communities two and three generations after Jesus.

Next I said, “And we need to deal with division - and disagreements - and inner fights - just as every generation of Christians have to.”

I love to quote the saying, “The greatest sin is our inability to accept the otherness of the other person.”

I like it when the pope follows my opinions.  I don’t like these folks who don’t like Pope Francis.  And I would like this pope and the next pope to make significant changes in the church - as long as they are liberal..

And I realize there are lots of people who will have problems with me when I’m made pope.

WHERE I NEED TO CHANGE

I need to walk in other’s shoes and figure out where they are coming from when I discover they differ from me.

I need to talk to others who will challenge me to see where I am coming from.

I need to read, talk, dig into - so as the figure out the why of divisions.

We were just talking the other day about two Redemptorists and one guy says about a guy who was a whiner - he couldn’t accept Vatican II.

CONCLUSION

So there’s differences and divisions -  and we all need to deal with them. Amen. 

We need to learn to meet with each other - as you’ll hear in the 2^nd Canon for reconciliation which I’ll use at this Mass.

October 24, 2019

MEMORIES

Like a favorite sweater -

memories warm us when

we are cold - but at some

point we take that sweater off.

It goes into a closet or a bottom

drawer and memories come off

dates and places and drop out

of site into closets and bottom

drawers, but some days we are

cold….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  24, 2019

Thought for today: 

“Incredibly, inordinately, devastatingly, immortally, calamitously, hearteningly, adorably beautiful.”  

Rupert Brooke of 

the actress 

Cathleen Nesbitt

If you're married

give your spouse 

that kind of 

a compliment.

October 23, 2019

JUST LISTEN

Just listen…. Just open up your ears -

just listen to the sound of music from

everywhere …. Kids walking by ....

Birds having a flash mob concert  above

a just harvested corn field .... Elevator

music - mall music - street music ....
Music .... Music .... Music .... Music ....
Everywhere .... Just listen .... Listen ....

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  23, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Leave words and take a song.”

Someone

P.S. That's my cousin

in the third song -
Caitriona Ni  Churraoin

October 22, 2019

HINTS AND INTUITIONS

If we asked someone to empty

out the contents of their souls -

onto the dining room table -

we’d see smigeons of hints

that this someone knows

there is a God lurking in our

loneliness and there are lots

of intuitions of beauty in all

the moments and memories

of the human soul. Many ….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  22, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Pursue, keep up with, circle round and round your life …. Know your own bone: gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw at it still.” 

Thoreau

MY  BLOG

Various people down through the years have sent messages to me about starting a blog - working with a blog - and various other “How To” questions about blogs.

I still don’t know how to process  their questions - mainly because they must think by putting a comment into my blog - I can respond directly back to them.  There is no e-mail address, etc. so I can’t respond - as of now.

We’re getting a new guy here next month who is tech savvy - so I’ll ask him some of the questions people sent to me.

To start a blog - you can do what I did.  A guy named Norm Constantine suggested I start a blog - so I said, “Show me.” He set this one up for me. He showed me how to do blog spots.

I started on June 17, 2009.  This is blog piece #6924.

So to start a blog - a question I’ve been asked - find someone who will set up a blog for you.

This one didn’t cost me a penny. It’s still free.  I know some  people make money etc. with their blog. I don’t.

As time went on I learned how to put pictures and short YouTube videos onto pieces.  The screen menu showed me just how to do different things.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.  Study different blogs and come up with a blog site you would like to imitate.

Go for it.

I hope someone who sends me  their requests for information will find this short document.  I am not dissing them.

Thanks,

Andy Costello

PERCEPTION

Till we realize we both can be looking 

at the same thing - while at the same 

time see differently  - we’re not going 

to be really communicating with each 

other. Solution: “How do you see this?” 

For example: How do you see the following?
A tricycle?  A cane? A kid watching a balloon
that just slipped out of her hand sailing away?
A family - three small kids and a mom and
dad - licking ice cream cones on a warm night.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  21, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“God’s pencil has no eraser.”

October 20, 2019

GOING  TO  CONFESSION

I sometimes hear people po po

going to confession. When I hear

this complaint or comment,

I keep quiet. I listen to them.

I think about what they are saying.

They usually say in the mix of

their words that they can go

directly to God. Good. Great.

Go for it. But when they say,

"It’s crazy", it’s  then I might  say,

“I’ve been ordained a priest

and have been hearing people’s

confessions for 55 years now

and I’ve heard the, “PHEW!” sound

enough times to say, “I disagree

with your appraisal.” Then I might

add, “You’re like people who say

there is no God to people who

have tasted God."  "Oh you don't

believe in God, either." Oh.

A suggestion: think outside 

the box before going into it. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  20, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject;  the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person.”  

G. K. Chesterton, Heretics, 1905

October  19. 2019

QUALIFIED

We’re all not qualified to take a

car apart - or to do brain surgery -

or to represent a person in a court

of law - or to do plumbing - but we

can spot honesty - or be kind to

one another - or give a glass of

cold water to a thirsty person on

a hot day or to give someone a cup

of hot tea or warm chocolate on a cold

day. We don’t need a Ph. D. for kindness

or a high school diploma for niceness.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

ACKNOWLEDGING CHRIST

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 28^th Saturday in Ordinary Time is, “Acknowledging Christ.”

ACKNOWLEDGING

We all know what it is to be acknowledged - to be recognized - to be thanked - to be welcomed to a get together -  or what have you.

We all know that MC’s have the job at banquets to point out who is present - who is responsible for organizing, contacting, putting together a dinner or what have you.

We all have been in settings when someone at the microphone uses the word “acknowledge” - when she or he says, “I want to acknowledge the great grandmother  - of the bride.  She hit  105 last week.”

We thank people who have gifted us - helped us - made our education possible.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel from Luke 12: 8-12 has Jesus saying, “If you acknowledge me before others, the Son of Man will acknowledge you before  the angels of God.”

It’s definitely a “quid pro quo” - as well as it’s opposite. “If you deny me, I’ll deny you.”

Scary.

A message I got out of this is to take a moment each day to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and God - the one who gifts me with life each moment.

We do that at Daily Mass.  We can do that at daily prayer.

A message that hit me is to  think about that moment at public events when someone is acknowledged. Think about - reflect about - the human behavior of acknowledging.

To pray is to acknowledge Jesus.

To pray is to acknowledge God as  Father.

To pray is to acknowledge the Holy Spirit.

We heard this last acknowledgement about the Holy Spirit  clearly in the gospel for today. The spirit - RUAH - in Hebrew - PNEUMA - in Greek -BREATH - in English is a message we hear about in the beginning of the Bible - Genesis.  There’s a moment there when God took and formed clay and then God  breathed air, breath, the spirit, RUAH, into that first person.

That was a first moment.  I like to see  God  with us in every breath of our life. I am having breathing problems this past year - so I’m well aware of my breath. I acknowledge to God, I need help. Keep me breathing

We see athletes acknowledging God  publically all the time,  They point their index finger or all their fingers or their hand to God.  

What a great morning prayer: to acknowledge God in thanksgiving every morning.

What a great night prayer: to acknowledge God in thanksgiving every night for the day.

CONCLUSION: TODAY

Today we celebrate the life of St. Paul of the Cross who acknowledged Jesus with his life and his religious congregation the Passionists.

Today we celebrate the lives of the North American Martyrs, Saint Isaac Jogues, John de Brebeuf and their companions who went to the Native Americans to tell them about Jesus and how he can better our lives, our attitudes, our work, our families, our lives.

Let’s all do that today.

October  19, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Your face is your passport.” 

Someone

October  18, 2019 

PIÈCE   DE   RÉSISTANCE 

Sometimes when we feel put down,

when our A Game is not happening,

we hope our smarts triggers a pièce  

de  résistance - which covers over

our feelings of being small, stupid

and of no consequence - but then

again - sometimes we just sit back and

let others rise and shine and give God or

themselves the glory - knowing our name  

is ballpoint pen inked in God’s Hand or

at least we feel good about ourselves

for being able to say something in 
French.  "C'est sensationnel!"  Wow! 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

THE   GOSPEL  OF   LUKE: 

FIVE   COMMENTS 

Here are five  comments about the Gospel of Luke on his feast day.

It’s the longest of the four gospels:  19,482 words - and then add The Acts of the Apostles - another 18,450 words. I add Acts because it’s often attributed to Luke. Now that’s a lot of words from Luke in the New Testament.

Matthew has more chapters - 28 -  than Luke -  who has  24.  However, the chapters in Luke are longer.   Matthew has 18,345 words. That’s 1,037 words  less than Luke.   Mark is 16 chapters  and the shortest of the gospels - 11,304 words. John has 21 chapters and 15,635 words.  Obvious those numbers depend on the translation and the language of the text in hand.

So that is one point: Luke is the longest of the gospels and then add The Acts of the Apostles which many credit Luke as the author of.

Second point: scholars  stress the Gentiles - non Jews - are the target audience for Luke. Scholars - not all - many see Luke as a Gentile - perhaps from Syria. Suggestion: just read Luke and compare it to Matthew. You  should come up with the same conclusion about Luke’s audience - being non-Jews. Of course while reading Luke notice his concern for the poor - and judge whether he’s heavier than Matthew and Mark with this.

Point Three: Luke is good with geography and doesn’t make too many mistakes with mention of places in his gospel as well as in The Acts of the Apostle.

Fourth Point: Luke is one of the synoptics - the 3 Gospels being seen as following a similar pattern.  I read a commentator  saying Luke might have had the outline Matthew had for his gospel which we no longer have. However Luke has additional  stories and stuff - for example, the Emmaus story and the Infancy Narrative especially the  Mary stories. Then there are the unique parables of the Prodigal Son, and Good Samaritan etc.

Fifth and Last Point:  Luke is the most polished writers of the gospels. As you know the Sunday Gospels run on 3 year cycle: Matthew, then Mark, then Luke.  You listen. Which of the 3 are you most at home with and you feel is speaking your language? As they say on the weekend retreats here - Luke has the reader eating with Jesus - going to eat with Jesus or leaving a meal with Jesus.  Eat Luke up! Digest Luke. Let him become you.

This document is 426 words.

[Picture on top: Book of Kells, Folio 27v, Luke is the calf with wings.]

October  18, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“If you’re not a lion, be a fox.” 

Folk Saying

October 17, 2019

TRANSUBSTANTIATION

Change - deep, deep inner change -

in all of us Christians day by day -

becoming Christ - being Christ more

and more and more, over and over again -

being true presence - becoming  really

present to those we’re with - being light,

being life, being love - to each other -

feeding the world - visiting the sick and

those imprisoned - clothing the naked -

letting people eat us up - our time and

our bodies in service to each other.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  17, 2019

Thought for today:

“The history of scholarship is a history of disagreements.” 

Charles Evans Hughes
 [1862-1948], 

Speech to American Law 
Institute, May 7, 1936

October 16, 2019

QUID  PRO  QUO

Crud!  All I heard for three

weeks now are these three

words, “Quid pro quo!”

Everybody on the news talk shows

used the Latin term, “quid pro quo”,

as if I knew exactly what they meant.

I did and I didn’t,  so I didn’t say

anything. I even used the term without

being sure of what I was saying.

I know it means, "Something for something."

"You scratch my back …. I’ll scratch yours."

"Nobody does nothing for nothing - no how."

Yet, I still don’t know what quid pro quo

means. I really don’t. So I’ll go with the

phrase: "There’s always a catch." Got it.

October  16, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Today  the  ringing of  the  telephone  takes precedence  over  everything. It reaches a point of terrorism, particularly at dinnertime.”  

Nieles Diffrient, 

New York Times, 

October 16, 1986

October 15, 2019

10  TOP  MOTIVES 

[Self-test # 26] 

Here are 10 possible motives for doing what we do. Jot them down on 10 small pieces of paper so you can shuffle them. Next study them.  Ask yourself if you have a motive that is not listed and you want it on your  list.  Good. But then eliminate one from this list - so you’ll still have 10.  When you have your 10, put them in order of importance or priority for you. There you go. It’s a self-test. This is Self-Test  # 26  on this blog - which I began back on June 17, 2007.  Game: see if you can find all 26 tests. 

Loyalty

Respect

Look good

Feel good

Health

Safety

Fear

God’s Will

Be loved

Love others

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019
Painting on top by Alex Colville