IMPROVING YOUR STORY
Quote for Today November 12, 2010
"The older they get the better they were when they were younger."
Jim Bouton [1939- ] - Played for the dreaded Yankees and author of Ball Four, etc.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
PAUSE
To pause,
to hear silence,
and then the sound of a truck
and then the sound of a truck
shifting gears, backing up,
somewhere in the morning distance,
to see a smile
or the whole face of a grandmother babysitting,
to hold the silver spoon still
so as to look at what I'm eating,
somewhere in the morning distance,
to see a smile
or the whole face of a grandmother babysitting,
to hold the silver spoon still
so as to look at what I'm eating,
the chocolate chip ice cream
or the Cheerios, in spite of
the desire to eat too fast,
or to taste the morning coffee,
to cross out or delete a word
for a better or just the right word
in a love note or a simple e-mail,
to not reach
to cross out or delete a word
for a better or just the right word
in a love note or a simple e-mail,
to not reach
for the orchestra sounding cell phone,
because the live persons around the table
are far more important,
to pause, to second guess
what I was about to do or say,
and then to say or do something better,
to pause, better to realize
at a pause, I'm in a choice moment,
and I can choose otherwise,
now that is what makes me human.
because the live persons around the table
are far more important,
to pause, to second guess
what I was about to do or say,
and then to say or do something better,
to pause, better to realize
at a pause, I'm in a choice moment,
and I can choose otherwise,
now that is what makes me human.
© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010
TEMPTATION
The sign said, “DO NOT ENTER!!”
And it had two, two exclamation points.
Now that’s a temptation – like the
cake on the counter – but “Kids, you first
have to eat the vegetables on the table.”
Closet doors are to be opened.
Curtains are to be closed.
Wrapping is to be unwrapped.
Just a peek, Just one. Just this once.
Nobody will ever notice. Temptation
comes with the wrapping on the gift.
Temptation slips and slides and hides
in every good – because every good
somehow attracts the static cling of evil.
No wonder the ancient wisdom:
temptation sneaks like a snake in the grass.
It’s a voice coming out
of the mouth of forbidden fruit.
“Touch me! Taste me! Take me! Tempt me.”
God, I’m so slow. Sin always seems so original.
And then with that first bite
Nobody will ever notice. Temptation
comes with the wrapping on the gift.
Temptation slips and slides and hides
in every good – because every good
somehow attracts the static cling of evil.
No wonder the ancient wisdom:
temptation sneaks like a snake in the grass.
It’s a voice coming out
of the mouth of forbidden fruit.
“Touch me! Taste me! Take me! Tempt me.”
God, I’m so slow. Sin always seems so original.
And then with that first bite
comes the ugly aftertaste: the truth that
it’s good fruit but it's me who's rotting.
it’s good fruit but it's me who's rotting.
And then we find ourselves
outside the garden gate – with the want to
worm ourselves back into paradise.
outside the garden gate – with the want to
worm ourselves back into paradise.
© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010
IT’S ABOUT TIME
Time – time – ticking – ticking –
not as loud as in the days
with big grandfather clocks
in the vestibule – or bells ringing
in church towers every hour or so,
but time keeps ticking and kicking me
reminding me to keep moving,
“Get it done! Finish it! Come on now.
Hurry up. Hurry up. Quick now.
We only have so much time.”
Hurry up. Hurry up. Quick now.
We only have so much time.”
Then the other side of me roars;
the lazy side of me, the Sabbath side
of me, says, “Hey slow down. Enough
already. Give me a break. It’s about time
I realize life is more than work, work, work.
I need some time to walk and nap and relax
before the clock stops for me.”
And God, You’re outside time.
You're in eternity! How did You
ever come up with this idea of time?
Interesting reality! Did You send Your Son
to grasp its pull and push and limitation
or did You learn about it from watching us?
ever come up with this idea of time?
Interesting reality! Did You send Your Son
to grasp its pull and push and limitation
or did You learn about it from watching us?
© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
SOMETIMES THERE’S MORE
THAN MEETS THE EYE
THAN MEETS THE EYE
The title of my homily or reflection for this interesting feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica is, “Sometimes There’s More Than Meets the Eye.”
There’s a difference between a wedding ring in a jewelry store window or display case than a wedding ring on the ring finger of someone who is married 43 years.
There’s a difference between a dozen roses in a galvinized metal bucket in a florist shop than a dozen roses handed to a daughter who was in a play after the play has ended.
From time to time a couple drop into St. Mary’s or any church and they try to find someone whom they can tell, “We were married here in this church 26 years ago today or this week.”
From time to time someone coming over the Eastport Bridge looks up and sees the tall steeple of St. Mary’s – with the cross shining – with glistening gold – overlooking Annapolis – and their faith is lifted. “Here our kids were baptized. Here we had a funeral Mass for mom. Here I came back to the faith.”
Sometimes there’s more than meets the eye.
Sometimes some churches are more important than other churches – because they have a story that not everyone knows – but once someone hears it – or has a similar experience – then that church has more than meets the eye.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Dedication of the church of St. John Lateran in Rome. It’s just one more feast day in the Church – an odd one at that – but it became special to me – because I visited it 9 times when I was in Rome in 1984 for 4 weeks. I read its history – how it was the church in Rome – as St. Peter’s is today. From 324 till St. Peter’s was begun in 1506 and was finished in 1626 – St. John Lateran was the Pope’s main church. It still is, but St. Peter’s is the place everyone goes. Yet St. John’s in Rome is the Pope’s church and the home parish for the Church. I don’t know if he’s registered in either one of them.
There’s a difference between a wedding ring in a jewelry store window or display case than a wedding ring on the ring finger of someone who is married 43 years.
There’s a difference between a dozen roses in a galvinized metal bucket in a florist shop than a dozen roses handed to a daughter who was in a play after the play has ended.
From time to time a couple drop into St. Mary’s or any church and they try to find someone whom they can tell, “We were married here in this church 26 years ago today or this week.”
From time to time someone coming over the Eastport Bridge looks up and sees the tall steeple of St. Mary’s – with the cross shining – with glistening gold – overlooking Annapolis – and their faith is lifted. “Here our kids were baptized. Here we had a funeral Mass for mom. Here I came back to the faith.”
Sometimes there’s more than meets the eye.
Sometimes some churches are more important than other churches – because they have a story that not everyone knows – but once someone hears it – or has a similar experience – then that church has more than meets the eye.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Dedication of the church of St. John Lateran in Rome. It’s just one more feast day in the Church – an odd one at that – but it became special to me – because I visited it 9 times when I was in Rome in 1984 for 4 weeks. I read its history – how it was the church in Rome – as St. Peter’s is today. From 324 till St. Peter’s was begun in 1506 and was finished in 1626 – St. John Lateran was the Pope’s main church. It still is, but St. Peter’s is the place everyone goes. Yet St. John’s in Rome is the Pope’s church and the home parish for the Church. I don’t know if he’s registered in either one of them.
St. John Lateran was sacked by 2 times: by Alaric and Genseric in the 400’s. It was destroyed almost completely by an earthquake in 896. It had fires in 1308 and 1360. On July 27, 1992 there was a bomb explosion – which did some damage. It was assumed to be the work of the Italian Mafia as a warning to Pope John Paul II for speaking out against the Mafia. It has been neglected as well as restored from time to time and they don’t have a second collection for that – but they had special collections. 5 ecumenical councils took place in it.
So once you hear a church’s history – once you visit its space and hear its story – that space becomes a place where there is more than meets the eye.
Every day of the year is not the same for everyone. Some days are different than other days - for example: Ash Wednesday, St. Patty’s Day, Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas – as well as those anniversary days in our lives – marriages, births, deaths, this and that days.
Today November 9th is a special day for Redemptorists. Since the original name of St. John Lateran was the Church of Our Savior – St. Alphonsus began the Redemptorists this day in 1732 in Scala, Italy above Amalfi. He chose to call us the Congregation of Our Savior – and we might have ended up being called Salvationists – but that name was taken when a Father Villani went to Rome in 1749 to get our approval. So someone in the Vatican gave us the name, “Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer,” “Congregatio Santissimi Redemptoris” or CSSR for short.
Not every day is the same as any other day – some days are different than other days. What are your different days? What are your different places? What triggers what for you?
“Sometimes There’s More Than Meets the Eye.”
So once you hear a church’s history – once you visit its space and hear its story – that space becomes a place where there is more than meets the eye.
Every day of the year is not the same for everyone. Some days are different than other days - for example: Ash Wednesday, St. Patty’s Day, Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas – as well as those anniversary days in our lives – marriages, births, deaths, this and that days.
Today November 9th is a special day for Redemptorists. Since the original name of St. John Lateran was the Church of Our Savior – St. Alphonsus began the Redemptorists this day in 1732 in Scala, Italy above Amalfi. He chose to call us the Congregation of Our Savior – and we might have ended up being called Salvationists – but that name was taken when a Father Villani went to Rome in 1749 to get our approval. So someone in the Vatican gave us the name, “Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer,” “Congregatio Santissimi Redemptoris” or CSSR for short.
Not every day is the same as any other day – some days are different than other days. What are your different days? What are your different places? What triggers what for you?
“Sometimes There’s More Than Meets the Eye.”
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