SMILING

He was always smiling…

and laughing as well - and

some people he knew in court

thought this was wrong. Judges

are always supposed to be serious.

You know the old saying,

“As serious as a judge!”

He’d counter - “But sometimes

it’s funny - the things people do.”

And he’d laugh all the way

to beginning of a trial. Then

as he walked into court

he’d put on his serious face.

Then came the horror stories.

And every once and a while,

he make a funny comment.

And he thought it was funny

that people didn’t know that

sometimes there is something

funny even in the midst

of the biggest tragedy.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2012

       WALKING AWAY

She simply walked away ….

It was something she saw her dad do too …

simply walk away. Not a big deal….

When things get testy, just walk away.

Her mom would be criticizing her dad ….

When it became too much, he just 

walked away. So when her mom started

on her … she too simply  - walked away.

Their dog, now alone, seeing dad

and daughter gone -  knew it was

his turn to deal with a screaming mom,

so he started scratching the tile floor and

and then the back door - till she opened it

and he walked and wandered away.

Finally her mom - the yeller - figured

it out. Nobody was left to yell at.

So that day she took off her apron

and her scowl, opened the front door

and she too simply - walked away.

Surprise that night - all were back home -

including their dog.  Mom apologized for how

she was treating them lately. First time dad

or daughter ever heard that. Then mom

began laughing - first time they saw that too.

She told them that after they left she was

standing there with nobody left to yell at

but herself. Not wanting to hear herself yelling,

so she too walked away. Then three streets

away from herself, she saw how ridiculous

she could be so she walked back home to be

her old self again. And all hugged each other

and laughed. Then dad said with a smile,

“Anybody want to go for a walk…?”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2012

ATTITUDE 

EFFECTS  ALTITUDE -

OUR  HIGHS  AND  LOWS.

April  13,  2012

Quote for Today

"Each of us makes his own weather, determines the color of the skies in the emotional universe which he [or she] inhabits."

Fulton J. Sheen [1895-1979]

CHOOSING  A  NAME

April  12, 2012

Quote for Today

"Remember that a man's [or woman's] name is to him [or her] the sweetest and most important sound in the English language."

Dale Carnegie


Questions: Any comments on this statement by Dale Carnegie?

Could reflection upon it lead us to more respect of each other?

Could it get us to ask another, "When calling you, what  name do you prefer?" "Is there any name you don't like?"

What does one do - if one doesn't think one's name is the sweetest and most important sound in the English or any language?

WHO WOULD WANT 

A PORCUPINE

FOR A PET?

April  11,  2012

Quote for Today

"Some Christians are like porcupines. They have many fine points but it's hard to get next to them."

Vance Havner

WHAT DO YOU WANT? 

WHOM DO YOU WANT? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Easter Tuesday  is, “What Do You Want? Whom Do You Want?”

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

As you know we get a lot of the Gospel of John at Easter time.

Last Saturday when I was putting together a homily for Easter Sunday I noticed something without looking for it. That happens. I noticed sort of accidentally that the Easter Sunday Gospel from John, Chapter 20: 1-9, has a similar scene in Chapter 1: 35-39 of John - the scene where Andrew - a disciple of John the Baptist has Jesus pointed out to him - and Andrew goes right up to Jesus who says to him, “What do you want?” It’s translated that way and a few other various ways in English from the Greek - but that’s the basic meaning. “What do you want? What are seeking? What are you looking for?”

Last night as I was preparing a homily for this morning I noticed that today’s gospel text is a continuation of Sunday’s gospel - John 20: 11-18. Having more time than last Saturday I did some further research on the text.

My first question was whether the Greek had the same word for “wanting” or “seeking” in both those texts: chapter 1 and chapter 20.

It does: the Greek verb is “ZETEO”.

Then I wondered if the Greek was different for “What” and “Whom”. It is. The difference is, “TI” and “TINA”. In John 1:38 we read, “TI ZETETE” “What do you want?” and in John 20: 15 we read, “TINA ZETEIS” “Whom are you seek?”

I checked commentaries on the Gospel of John. Nobody comments on the nuance I just mentioned. That makes me nervous, because I neither a Greek scholar nor a Biblical scholar.

However, I dabble and babble in both.

I have no clue if anyone of you is interested in these tiny tidbits.

Next I did notice that several commentaries did compare both texts - John 1 and John 20 when in both scenes we spot the word “Rabbi”. However, it’s more intimate or friendlier here in John 20 when Jesus is called “Rabbouni”.

So that was a nice discovery for me. We were taught to read the scriptures and look for parallels. I finally spotted this one after all these years. What else is in the scriptures that I haven’t noticed yet?

WHAT OR WHOM?

So I noticed that Chapter One has the question: “What are you looking for?” - the question of Jesus to Andrew and Chapter 20 has the question Jesus asks Mary, “Whom” are you looking for?”

Now I began wondering if the author of John is making a point here: that some people ask what and some ask whom.

Is it true that some people are searching for a what and some people spend their life searching for a whom - a person?

Is it the “Subject vs. Object” topic or the “It vs. The Thou” question that Martin Buber was off on.?

I don’t know. It’s something that hit me last Saturday and again last night - so I have to keep reflecting upon all this.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “What Do You Want? Whom Do You Want?”

In this homily, I’m asking several questions: “Is everyone a wanter? Do some people want a what and do some people want a whom? Do men want a what and women want a whom?

Do men want a religion, a system, a plan, a blueprint and women want a person?

Do some people want a person who will give them a what?

I don’t know. I’m throwing these questions out to you as well. Maybe one of these questions will hook you - which the question mark is crafted into: a hook?

Maybe some of you are thinking these are all “What” questions and “What comments”.

Maybe some of you are thinking about what you are going to do today; maybe some of you are thinking about whom you are going to meet or be with today.

Maybe one of you is thinking: “What is he talking about today?”

Maybe one of you is thinking, “Whom is he talking about today?”

OOOOOOOPS!

April 10,  2012

Quote for Today

"The quickest way to get a lot of undivided attention is to make a mistake."

Anonymous

Do you spot mistakes more than a flawless presentation or appearance?