Friday, November 8, 2013

HINDSIGHT

Quote for Today - Saturday - November 9, 2013


“Hindsight is an exact science.”  

Guy Bellamy, The Sinner’s Congregation, Secker and Warburg, 1984
IN BOLD PRINT


INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 31 Friday in Ordinary Time is: “In Bold Print.”

In today’s first reading from Romans 15: 14-21 - Paul says, “I have written to you rather boldly.”  I am familiar with another translation which said, “I have written to you rather boldly in parts of this letter.”

I was imagining if Paul had a computer - would he write his heavy messages with BOLD print - or a bigger font - or underline key points.

If he printed out his message would he magic mark in yellow or pink or blue - his key passages.

People do that with their Bibles. They go through it with magic markers. I’ve also often wondered if that makes a message stronger for people.

Some people go crazy with people who mark up books - who underline sentences or words - or put exclamation points or question marks.

I love it - SOMETIMES - I put that in capitals - and in bold print - when people mark up Bibles and I pick it up.  It tells me about what hits other people.  It tells me about people.

BACK TO THE TITLE

The title of my homily is, “In Bold Print.”

Picture the following scenario.

Adriana goes out to eat with her family to a local restaurant - and there is a whole plate of roasted asparagus on the table.

Now Adriana loves asparagus.

She asks for a “doggy bag” which now are Styrofoam containers and she brings home her treasure.  From experience she knows that her stuff sometimes gets stolen out of the refrigerator. So she gets a purple Sharpie Pen and puts on the Styrofoam contained in Big Letters: “This belongs to Adriana. DO NOT TOUCH. DO NOT TAKE!”

Then she puts duct tape on the container. Then she puts that in a paper bag - with her name on the brown paper bag. “THIS BELONGS TO ADRIANA! DO NOT TAKE!!!!!!!”

She wakes up the next morning - and heads down to the refrigerator - with a smile on her face - ready for her roasted asparagus.

It’s gone. It’s missing. She starts screaming. “Who took my asparagus.”

Her older brother says, “Oh that was yours. I came home last night and spotted it in the fridge and it was delicious. Thanks.”

She says, “Can’t you read, you moron?”

He says, “You’ll get over it!”

BACK TO MY TITLE

The title of my homily is, “In Bold Print!”

Get yourself a Bible. Get yourself a good yellow highlighter or Magic Marker in yellow or pink. Go through the Bible on a regular basis and high light words and texts and stories that grab you.

Maybe someone will discover your Bible 10 years after you die at the age of 95 and they get a glimpse of what grabbed you in life.

CONCLUSION: TODAY’S GOSPEL

For example, today’s gospel talks about a guy who is very clever in giving people breaks so that if and when he is fired, he will have people he was good to hire him.

Jesus is not telling people to be dishonest, but to use their cleverness for the right reasons - to make life sweeter and better for each other.

That might be something someone would highlight or put in bold print! Amen.


FAMILY FACES



Quote for Today - November 8, 2013

“Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present and future.”  

Gail Lumet Buckley, “The Hornes: An American Family, Knopf, 1986

Picture: My sister Peg at her 50th Anniversary as an IHM Sister.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

DOWN THE ROAD

Quote for Today - November 7, 2013



"God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road."

Isak Dinesen, recalled on her death, September 7, 1962

Wednesday, November 6, 2013



IT’S A BANQUET

Oh you didn’t know that….

Well, pull up a chair
and let me tell you
about my sister….

Better - first get off
your chair and start
serving tables
and then you’ll discover
the mysteries Jesus
discovered in sharing
bread and wine - washing feet
and being in communion
with one another - okay
sometimes life will break
you, but you’ll meet the
mysterious surprises
that come to all those
who make sure
everyone has their
daily bread  - and then
surprise you’ll celebrate -
because the message is:
After it's all over,
you can have your
cake and eat it. Amen.

Andy Costello, Reflections, 
Nov. 6, 2013
Photo from Sister St. Monica
Costello's 50th Anniversary as
an I. H. M. Sister.

PEGGY DIED IN NOVEMBER

Peggy died last night at 11:30 - November 5, 2013 - 75 years of age.

Is any time a good time to die? Of course - but then again, it all depends.

November - with all its leaves - falling to the ground - first bright red and yellow - then we spot some orange and some maroon -  lovely leaves - then some turning slowly to brown crumbling leaves on the ground - each one - not a bad image of a person dying - different colors - different beauty -  here - there - everywhere around our world. 

November - the month we Catholics pray for our dead - starting with November 1 - All Saints Day - and then November 2 - All Souls Day.

November - so it’s not a bad month to die - with leaves and grave stones - crumble, crumble, on the ground - from which we came. Yet tough, tough, tough at times ....

November - so when each November rolls around - we who knew Peggy - will remember with tears and smiles - Peggy - or Sister St. Monica - as her Immaculate Heart of Mary nun name was - all through her religious life.

At the wake, at the funeral, we’ll tell our stories - our memories - our take on Peggy, a. k. a. Monica - the places she served - many - the kids she taught - many - the Sisters she was stationed with - many - the schools she ran - several - the service she provided - lots noticed and much unnoticed - the love she gave - cherished.

My sister Mary, my brother Billy, and I were blessed to have such a great sister. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters of Scranton, Pennsylvania, were also blessed to have such a great sister and friend.


My mom and dad - and all our loved ones who have gone before us - continue celebrating the Kingdom of God - together - with the Lord and Redeemer of us all. Thanks for everything, Peggy - and then some more -and then the eternal more and more after that. We'll be with you. Amen. 

P.S. If any young lady is interested in a great life of service - my sister Peggy needs to be replaced - contact the I.H.M. Sisters of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
MEDITATION

Quote for Today - November 6, 2013




"Sleep is the best meditation."



Dalai Lama, People Magazine, September 10, 1979

Comments:

And how often - when meditating - people fall asleep.

Notice the simplicity of the comment - the letting go - called "sleep".

Some call it a "Mini-Death!"