DISTANT DARK
Looking through the screen door - thousands of tiny photos
then night, then sky, then distant dark.
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2015
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Friday, May 1, 2015
May 1, 2015
SHORT LIST OR LONG LIST?
I know I’m on various peoples long list.
They e-mail me once and a while. They
even know my name. Yet it’s those people
who have me on their short list that I am
forced to pay attention to - to make sure
I keep them on my short list as well.
I have never forgotten Jess Lair’s comment that if you have 5 friends in a life time - pinch yourself - you’re lucky - count yourself blessed.
Okay, I have to know those who touch the
tassel on my cloak and energy flows -
with them I have a connection - a history - memories.
To forget them - too often - I might fall off their short list and end up
on their other list. Now that I don’t want to happen and that tells me who we really are - and who’s who on who’s list? Thank you friends. Thank you God!
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
April 30, 2015
UNSUNG MORNING PRAYER
Close those prayer books…. Close your eyes ….
Silent your tongue …. Open your ears ….
Listen carefully to that soothing
morning music playing and praying
in your own back yard - birds chirping,
birds sitting on branches - music birds
musing and watching the sun light move up
the bark of the backyard trees. Listen to
that morning music in the wood - in the woods.
Listen carefully …. Listen very carefully.
Be in on the morning bird chirping music
now sinking into the surrounding woods.
Know that trees remember music and
sweet sounds - music remembered in
that wood - and someday we’ll hear all
that sweet harmony that has been
embedded in this wood. Music that
slips and steps into the wood of
these church benches - into violins -
into wooden flutes. So ….
into wooden flutes. So ….
Close those prayer books ….
Close your eyes ….
Take into your being the sound of all
the breezes and all that music
remembered in the woods….
© Andy Costello Reflections
2015
TROUBLE IN RIVER CITY
[This is a story based on something someone told me happened to their brother's family recently. I wrote the story this morning for a high school Mass.]
Sometimes we never know what’s going on inside the mind
of the kid in front of us in our home room. We see his skull - the back of his
head - but we don’t know what’s going on behind those walls. We see the cover
of the book - but we haven’t read the pages of that book.
Sit in that classroom long enough and we know they are
bright … smart … a good athlete …. Or what have you. But that’s all we know.
Okay we also know their name - Tina, Tom or Tony. We know what neighborhood they come
from. We know they have two other siblings. And maybe a dozen more tidbits
about them - but that’s about it.
This year - just 4 weeks ago - from Holy Thursday,
Easter, and then the rest of Easter week this kid sitting in front of us was in Disneyworld - first time for all the family
- but Tom told no one in his class about the trip.
Actually, Tom really didn’t want to go - because it was a
long car ride trip from River City to Orlando. It meant he’d be in the back
seat - directly behind his father - in their dark red old Camry. Actually Tom
liked that seat - because it was the best place, best space to hide out in a
tight car.
Tom’s father was a yeller. Tom’s father was an angry
man. Tom’s father could explode in
verbal outbursts all the time.
On the road it could be toll collectors. “They’re too damn slow! There on their cell
phones. They don’t give a damn about all us poor slobs trying to get to Florida
- to Disneyworld.”
“Beep…. Beep …. Beep…. That driver in that blue SUV is an
idiot!”
Tom’s dad could be a rapid roaring river.
At home it was mom who got yelled at the most. At other
times it could be Tom. He had a brain, but he just wasn’t an A Student. At
other times it was his younger brother. Rarely was it was his younger sister -
she got away with everything. Yell…. Yell …. Yell…. So that’s why Tom didn’t
want to go on a day and a half on the road - in a tight seated back of a car -
with an angry at life dad with an acidic tongue.
To save money at Disneyworld, all 5 were in a small motel
room - some 18 minutes from Epcot Center, the rides, the whole experience
called Disneyworld.
At least once a day - usually in the morning - it was mom
whom dad turned his cannons - his blasts - and fire power towards.
At least once a day - Tom would say to himself, “Why
doesn’t she just divorce him.
At night, every weekend, when home, his brother and
sister hid under their ear buds - trying as best as possible to block out -
their dad’s rants.
All through the years Tom tried to hear his mom’s cries -
console her - and keep the family together. Those who said, “The oldest in the
family have the most responsibilities might be right.
Dad never said, “Thanks” or “Nice going” or “I’m proud of
you son.” His sister might get a positive compliment once and a while.
Hey, one kid is usually, the favorite.
The noise, the rides, the background music, the scenes,
the settings at Disneyworld, helped distract dad - a bit more than usual - but
at least once every day - everyone got at least one shouting match - well not
his sister as much - but his mom, his brother, and himself - they got showers
of words and attacks written with red stink and words covered with barbed wire.
Tom’s brother had a good musical ear. He was the first in
the family who would often start humming the musical score for “Trouble in
River City” when dad would go into a tirade.
Even his sister would turn off her iTunes when started humming that
song. And the funny thing was that their dad never knew it was directed at him.
Ooops one more thing…. On the way home they drove to
their grandfather’s house. They had never met their father’s father before.
Tom was all eyes - without knowing he had an underlying
question about his dad. “How did my dad get like this?”
He got the answer on that side trip back home. His father
was a Xerox copy of his father. Their
grandfather was also an angry man. Their grandfather was also a yeller.
Tom wanted to ask his father, what was his grandfather
like? Could he be in the path or 3 yellers.
That gave Tom an even deeper silence? What about me? What am I going to be like: my dad, my
grandfather, my great grandfather - or a saint like my mom.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
April 29, 2015
THE BIG TABLE
The whole world is seated
at one big table,
but the trouble is
all the food
is on one side
The whole world is seated
at one big table,
but the trouble is
people have problems
passing things.
The whole world is seated
at one big table,
but the trouble is
people have difficulties
stomaching each other.
The whole world is seated
at one big table,
but the trouble is
the first are first
and the last are last.
The whole world is seated
at one big table,
but the trouble is
people don’t like
the seating arrangements.
The whole world is seated
at one big table,
but the trouble is
people seem to want
separate tables.
The whole world is seated
at one big table,
but the trouble is
nobody realizes
the table is round.
The whole world is seated
at one big table,
but the trouble is
the next generation
is waiting for the leftovers.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
IF ASKED, WOULD I TEND TO SAY,
“I AM A CATHOLIC” OR WOULD I SAY, “I AM A CHRISTIAN?”
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “If Asked, Would I Tend To
Say, ‘I Am a Catholic’ or Would I Say, ‘I Am A Christian’”?
A QUESTION BEFORE MY MAIN QUESTION
Before answering that question, here’s a primary
question: If asked to describe oneself in 10 statements, would I put on my
list. “I am a Catholic,” or “I am a Christian?”
Or would I list other characteristics?
On various high school, college or post college retreats,
people are often asked to describe themselves in ten “I Am” statements. I have even
seen 20 or 25 I Am questions to describe oneself.
For example
someone might answer:
·
“I am a husband,”
·
“I am a wife.”
·
“I am a father.”
·
“I am a mother.”
·
“I’m an Annapolitan.”
·
“I am a waitress.”
·
“I am an owner of a restaurant.”
·
“I am an engineer.”
·
“I’m a baseball fan.”
·
“I’m lonely.”
·
“I’m shy.”
·
“I am introvert.”
·
“I’m organized.”
·
“I tend to be last minute.”
·
“I’m a procrastinator.”
·
“I’m a reader.”
·
“I’m a person of faith.”
·
“I am frugal when it comes to money.”
·
“I’m considerate?”
And on and on and on.
So my question again, “, “If Asked, Would I Tend To Say,
‘I Am a Catholic’ or Would I Say, ‘I Am A Christian’”?
IT ALL DEPENDS
I would suspect most people would first say, “It all
depends.”
It all depends if I would put “I am a Christian” or “I am
a Catholic” or all three on my top 25,
“I am” list.
Then it also depends of what one understands by the word
“Christian” and the word, “Catholic.”
They both have similar and various meanings.
Some would use the word an adjective - meaning a
Christian is someone who is kind and merciful - generous and loving - aware and
caring towards others. One goes he extra
mile. One who turns the other cheek. One who is a Good Samaritan. One who
visits the sick. Clothes the naked. Visits those in prison.
Then there are people like C.S. Lewis who would say it’s a noun. If you’re
baptized, you’re a Christian. Then add adjectives. I am a lazy Christian. I am committed
Christian. I am a Christian sometimes.
By Catholic some would think a person who is all of the
above as a Christian, but they see
themselves in a parish and they follow the teachings of that church.
Some would say. “I am a Catholic Christian” - different
than a Lutheran.
Some would say I fit the description in today’s first
reading. “It was in Antioch they were first called Christians.”
CONCLUSION
April 28, 2015
BOX OF EXPECTATIONS
Everyone is a box of expectations,
a box of
hopes,
waiting for e-mail,
for letters,
for phone
calls,
for the door
bell,
waiting for
love.
Everyone hopes for the raise,
the promotion
,
to be shop
steward,
to be next in
line
to be union
delegate,
to get a
degree,
to get a job,
to get the
title,
to be the
doctor,
to be the
nurse,
to be the
boss.
Everyone stands in the batter’s box
or on the
foul line,
at the
corner,
hoping to
score.
Everyone goes to the movies
hoping to be
moved,
goes to bingo
hoping to
win,
the race,
the lottery ,
the big car,
Everyone is a shopper,
searching,
looking,
reading,
for vision,
reaching
for her star,
for his
dream.
And suddenly everyone finds herself
waiting for
the baby,
the child,
the family ,
the reason
for living,
the reason
for working
Everyone is expecting,
pregnant with
hopes,
pregnant with
God.
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