April 19, 2015

NOT FOLLOWING MY SCRIPT

Life never seems to want

to follow my script.

Life is mixed messages.

Life is ambiguity

Life is a “Yes” that ends up

being a “No” without telling me.

Okay, life is green leaves in summer

and broken brown leaves in the fall.

This I know: I expect a safe trip.

I don’t expect a crazy car crash.

I don’t like losing my job.

I don’t like being misunderstood.

I didn’t like the unexpected death

or cancer and she’s only 29.

I don’t like the bad guy converting

and the good guy falling.

I don’t like changes in the script

especially when I wrote it. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

April 18, 2015

THOUGHT POLICE

There’s the food police - watching,

commenting on what people are eating.

There’s the clothing police - watching,

checking out what people are wearing.

There’s the thought police - watching,

listening to what people are saying,

writing, preaching - ready with rocks

in hand, Letters to Editors in mind

or to authorities, heresy hunters,

wanting to nail to the nearest cross

those who think differently.

Uh oh! I better be careful. I better

not offend the thought police.

© Andy Costello Reflections, 2015

April 17, 2015

LUCKY MOVE    

She wanted to tell me

her life story - so I dropped

in to see her. I listened.

I heard her. I saw her

smile as she spoke. A week

later she died. Was that

the same smile I was looking

at as I was looking at

her face in the casket?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

April 16, 2015

BIRDS

                                                            E

                                                  A    K

                                            T  

                                                                          A        

                                                                         L  O  

                                                                                  O 

                                 E                                                    K

                  A       H   

                     T  T

                      

                                        B           S

                                           I     D

                                              R

                                                                          R

                                                  O                  I

                                                        F          A

                                                             T   E

                                                                H

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015

April 15, 2015

SKULL

Bone beneath the skin,

skull beneath the scalp,

death you are always

stalking, walking with me.

Is there anything I can do

to outwit and outlast you?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015

SHOUT  OUTS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 2^nd Tuesday after Easter  is, “Shout Outs”.

Sometimes in a homily - I give a so called, “Shout Out” and sometimes someone in the back of church says after Mass, “Thanks for the shout out.”

At first I didn’t know what a “shout out” was.

Now I do.

HOMILIES

In a homily, I might nonchalantly say, “It’s wonderful to meet people who volunteer for the ESL program – the English as a Second Language Program - here at St. Mary’s.” Or I might say, “I’m amazed at all the people here at St. Mary’s who volunteer to serve in the St. Vincent de Paul Society. I open the door to go down to the office to check for a Baptism on a Monday evening or a Wednesday afternoon and the corridor is filled with folks needing assistance. They  come here for help and our people are helping them.”  Then someone says after Mass, “Thanks for the shout out.”

I know it helps a parish or any organization to publicly thank the ushers or collection counters or coffee and donut volunteers – or to have on the walls of a business or school or hospital – “Employee of the Month.” – “Teacher of the Week” – “Nurse of the Month”.

Did you notice how neat the floors and the flowers here at St. Mary’s are this Easter?

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles is a shout out for all  these folks in the early church who shared their time, their resources and their capital for the needy.

At the last part of today’s first reading there is a wonderful story – which is a shout out for a man named Joseph – who sold a piece of property that he owned – and brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.

Down through the centuries - I’m sure this reading from the Acts of the Apostles – Chapter 4 – verses 32 to 37 – especially this story about this guy named Joseph –– has urged folks to give to the poor and the needy.

Then the gospel gives a shout out for a man named Nicodemus who comes to Jesus in the night looking for answers. I assume it’s a shout out for all those with faith questions to come forward – even if they have to do it on the sneak – or in the dark.

Today’s gospel is also a shout out  - a warning about what can hurt us – the snakes around us that can bite us. John quotes Jesus telling everyone to see their demons, their snakes, their problems, their addictions – hang them on a tree – scotch tape them to a wall - keep them on a refrigerator door in their mind - and keep one’s eye on them.

Did you notice on TV – these ads – with their powerful anti-smoking ads?

SHOUT OUTS

Shout outs work – even though there could be hesitation to use them.

To build a church or a hall, money is received and plaques announcing pledges and donations go up on walls. They are shout outs. So too stained glass windows named for people or families. Anyone involved in fund raising knows this. It keeps the money coming in – but we know Jesus also said, “Don’t wave your pledges like a flag with your name on it in public. Some do that. They have had their reward.”  Yet we also know they encourage others to do the same. Life can be complicated and a paradox.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Shout out’s.”  Maybe the best comment – and attitude would be: “Make one’s good works get other people to also work to help the hungry and house the homeless – and forget about oneself.”

April 14,  2015

APPROACHING CERTAIN PEOPLE

Approaching another, getting closer.

I’m almost there - near - at the edge of you.

Yet I’m still not sure  - if what I say -

will be taken wrong - so to be honest,

to be VERY  honest, I’m wondering -

just how - exactly how you are going to react,

so I back, back, back away from you. Sorry.

Approaching another - almost there-

Yet you seem scary at times. Yet I know

you’re neither an alligator nor a Rottweiler.

Approaching another …. Yet  - yet -

yes another yet and then another yet.  

I’m still not sure whether you want me 

to approach or avoid you or what?

Approaching another…. You seem different.

I’ll say to myself, “I’ll wait for another day,

but  this has been going on for years.”

So I approach you - like I approach

a rose bush - watching out for the  thorns -

wearing work gloves - being cautious.

Approaching another…. I stop suddenly

and approach another at the coffee break

and then I head back to my desk -

okay,  sometimes I stop to ask

about a balloon tied to a chair -

what’s that all about and then again

sometimes I don’t - lest it take time so

I tend to  back off or back down - almost….

It seems I need more work on my approach.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2014