CULMINATIONS

Endings: Sometimes we see 
them coming; sometimes we don't.

It's Friday - we're moving towards 

the last days of a vacation.

The breakup of a marriage.

I had stopped saying, “Thank you.”

The waitress says, “Does anyone

want coffee or dessert or the bill?”

The doctor says, “Sorry,

it doesn’t look good.”

People start moving towards

the exit. The score is 7 to 1.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

April 19, 2018

Thought for today:

“Me miserable! which way shall I fly

Infinite wrath, and infinite despair?

Which way I fly is hell; myself am hell;

And in the deepest deep a lower deep,

Still threat’ning to devour me, opens wide,

To which the hell I suffer seems a heaven."

John Milton [1608-1674], 

Paradise Lost [1667] IV, line 73

ROSE PARVIS SCHOLARSHIP

[Good Morning: Welcome to the Rose Parvis scholarship ceremony. Today 33 sophmores  entered into the group.  It’s quite an honor. One has to have  a 4 point average - plus a series of other “have to”s - for all 4 years at  St. Mary’s High School.  The key word this morning is “Scholarship.” Last week in the Washington Post and in the New York Times I noticed announcements for this year’s winners of the Pulitzer Prizes for Journalism. Putting both together last night, I wrote this fictional story for this morning's ceremony. It’s called, “Scholarship!”]

SCHOLARSHIP

It was her first Pulitzer Prize.

She stood there on the shiny wooden stage floor - waiting for someone in a suit to finish his introduction of her. He told of her gifts and skills as a newspaper reporter. He spoke a few quotes and quips. He got a few smiles and two laughs - in his introduction to this award to this woman.

She heard nothing.

She was a bit nervous. This was quite an award for any newspaper or news magazine writer and reporter.

She remembered her first ballpoint pen. It could do what the big people could do with a ballpoint pen: make marks and letters on a pad or piece of paper. Her first word was not cat or dog - but owl. OWL - in big capital letters.

Next came hawk and robin and rooster.

In fact - in the second grade - she wrote her first little book: The Rowdy Rooster - who roared and cleared his throat every night at midnight - instead of every morning at dawn.

She stood there remembering writing a paper in Middle School with 2 friends about people who messed up parking lots with dumping paper and wrappers and Styrofoam containers. The 3 became nicknamed "the Neat Nicks" and got made fun of - but some kids heard the message and kept the parking lot and rest rooms neater.

She stood there remembering her paper in H.S. about verbal bullying in the kind of nick names kids gave kids.

She remembered in College writing a paper pushing for better medical benefits for the college maintenance workers.

She stood there thinking she was well prepared for her job as reporter for the Times - Dispatch.

Finally it was her turn to walk to the podium and get her Pulitzer Prize.  All clapped especially her family. She thanked God and her parents - but especially two high school English teachers - who pushed her to write and to use her talents for a better world.

She thanked her editor for pushing her to do her research in nursing homes in the Midwest - and how the county ones - were not doing their job.

That Sunday she stayed in church a few extra minutes to once more thank God and a whole list of teachers in elementary, middle, high school, university and grad school.  She especially remember Mrs. Lopez who loved to say, “Detailed Research and Scholarship - definitely make the difference every time.”

After being handed her Pulitzer Prize award, someone gave her a dozen roses. It was a first. She remembered  envying  the Home Coming Queen in high school getting a dozen roses and all those kids who were handed roses by family after being in a play. Finally! She joined their ranks.  And she raised her roses and her Pulitzer prize high in the air. 

______________________________________
FROM 2017

Top-Notch Students are proving High School is a stepping stone for things to come!

3/29/2017

St. Mary’s Parvis Scholar Program confers recognition and honor upon the most intellectually promising Christian leaders of St. Mary’s High School. 

This program is reserved for select sophomores who demonstrate steadfast commitment to academic excellence and Christian values.

Named in honor of St. Mary’s Teacher of the Year 1991-1992, the Parvis Scholar Program was established to honor the work of Rosemary Annette Parvis, Social Studies department chair and teacher. Following graduation ceremonies on May 23, 1992, the St. Mary’s community suffered the tragic loss of Rose Parvis in an automobile accident. She was an extraordinary woman: a loving wife, a compassionate and caring mother, a consummate academic, a passionate and dedicated teacher. She was a quiet leader and a constant model of the Christian values which she lived each day.

The Parvis Scholar Program is governed by an academic committee which reviews applications and selects students to be named Parvis Scholar nominees. Those students who are selected will receive singular distinction as Parvis Scholars—an honor these students will carry throughout their years at St. Mary’s. Recognized Parvis Scholars, selected on the basis of both merit and potential, as well as academic achievement and Christian leadership ability, will demonstrate the principles which Rose Parvis espoused and which are an inherent part of the philosophy of a St. Mary’s education. Upon graduation, these students will have:

• Sustained a grade point average of 4.0 or above
• Demonstrated Christian commitment over a four-year career at St. Mary’s
• Illustrated service to the St. Mary’s High School community and to the community at large through leadership in co-curricular and social arenas
• Attained acceptance to an institute of higher learning to further pursue a professional career

"Each of our St. Mary's High School Parvis Inductees for 2017 earned a cumulative GPA of 4.0 or above following the first semester of the sophomore year.  Each has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to Gospel values and a dedication to serving others.  These sophomores employ the gifts of faith, scholarship, sensitivity, compassion, and inclusion. They are leaders in their class and in their school." Stated Chris Morgan, Assistant Principal for Academics.  This year we are honored to have 19 sophomore inductees, 14 of which came from our St. Mary’s elementary school.   This is a tremendous compliment of the great work our lower school is doing to advance our students in academic excellence.  This year’s inductees are Eleanor Aherne, Maggie Aumiller, Mary Byrne, Aidan Doud, Alayna Everhart, Elizabeth Gilman, Elizabeth Harris, Peter Lynch, Trevor Martinez, Thomas Mollen, Ashlyn Odenwald, Alyssa Pasta, Bryce Pfundstein, William Rogers, Spira Rosseau, Charles Ruland, Rylei Smith, Jacob Tribull and Robert Daniel Wilson.  

April 18, 2018 

Thought for today:

“A mind not to be changed by place or time.

the mind is its own place, and it itself

Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.” 

John Milton [1608-1674], 

Paradise Lost [1667] 

bb, I, line 253

April 18, 2018

DISSATISFIED

Dissatisfied, in a rut, ready to move,

to migrate, to immigrate both in body,

mind, soul and being - to get a better

job in a far country - a new place.

But where? Then there is family

and advice from fellow passengers -

then there is homesickness - and

be prepared to feel like an outcast.

Stay still or set sail for the new.

Security pleases some - risk too few.

But risk can bring new relationships

a soulmate - and meeting God within.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018 

WHAT  WE  LIVE  ON 

AFTER  WE  HAVE  LIVED 

The old priest told the young woman,

“These are the men who built the

tunnels, the bridges and the highways.”

Then he added, looking around the church

hall at these old  wrinkled  weathered men,

“God only knows what they live on now.”

The young girl stood there studying

the faces - as tears slid down her face,

God only knows what she was thinking.

She was homesick. She was experiencing 
changes. She was adjusting. She was future.
God only knows what she’ll live in a new now.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

WHAT’S   YOUR  TAKE 

ON  ANGER?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter is, “What’s Your Take On Anger.”

I got that  question and issue to think about from today’s first reading. [Cf. Acts 7: 51 to 8: 1a]

The crowd gets infuriated when Stephen tells them off.

He says, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit, you are just like your ancestors.”

Hearing this they throw him out of town and begin to stone him to death.

HOW MANY TIMES IN OUR LIFE HAVE WE SEEN THAT SCENE

How many times have we seen that same scene?

Saul - who becomes Paul - saw it and wow did he take a lot out of it, but it took him time.

My earliest  memory of anger was as a little boy walking along 4^th Avenue in Brooklyn. We were going  by a gas station and two mechanics are screaming at each other - and one guy throws a metal tire wrench - the solid one piece ones - in the shape of a plus sign or a cross - at the other guy and misses him.  I can still hear the clang of that sound on macadam or cement all these years - and my shoulders still jerk back and up when I remember that moment.

Little kids hear anger and screaming and it effects and affects them.

I never could get affect and effect correct - and cheat and say, “It’s often both.”

We have all seen couples, parents, kids, angry, screaming and yelling at each other.

What’s your take on anger?

What are your memories of anger?

What are the angry scenes - on stage - in the auditorium of your mind and memory?

TYPES OF ANGER

We don’t have to define anger or look the word up in the dictionary. We know what anger is.

But I think it’s smart to think of types of anger.

There’s good anger and there’s bad anger.

Everyone who comes to church has heard that Jesus got angry at the money changers in the temple - and threw a tantrum at the crowd.

So sometimes anger is good and justified. We should get angry at those who abuse children - or anyone.

Do you get angry at those who dump on the earth or empty out  their car garbage onto the parking lot or gas station floor - especially when there’s a big plastic can a few feet away.  A couple of times I’ve said, “Hey you just dropped this.”  It could  be a McDonald’s  wrapper of a Burger King big chocolate shake cup.   If they don’t go back and pick it up - that means I have to do that.”

I remember reading about a sociological study and experiment in New Orleans or Nashville or somewhere. During the night for a week - including a weekend -  they cleaned a street totally and then measured and weighed the amount of wrappers and garbage that night. Then then they planted garbage on the street and measured the amount that night. Lesson: clean streets, parks, rest rooms, stay cleaner, the cleaner they are.

I dislike - have a calm low degree of anger - when I’m at a ballgame and everyone just dumps all their garbage on the ground - under their seats - or when I see the dugout by the 7^th inning.

What bothers you? What bugs you? What annoys you? What angers you? What does your anger list look like?

So there’s good anger and bad anger and so so anger.

There’s also revelatory anger. That’s anger that tells the person who is angry their values. If you get angry at dumpers and slobs - that should tell you that you like neat. 

For example, some people get angry at talkers in church - before and after mass.  Other people think it’s great to see neighbors and friends greeting each other in church before and after Mass. 

For example, some people go crazy with mismanagement - stupidity - like at the post office - when three counter people are just standing there off to the side talking and laughing and the line is 15 deep - and finally someone of the 3 finish a story and go over to their spot on the counter and yell, “Next!” Good management, good service, flow in a parking lot, etc. etc. etc. are at stake here.  Then there was the heart specialist in California - who said to his heart patients.  When you go into a bank, always pick the longest line. When you’re 2^nd in line - get off - and go to the back of the longest line. While standing there try to recall the names of everyone in your high school graduating class. I’ve tried that. I’ve tried that. It works.  But I don’t have an E-ZPass and I always pick the longest toll booth.

CONCLUSION

Some people get angry at long sermons - they gotta get to work - or they know that someone could say the same thing in 10 words or less.

For example: “Hey turkey, don’t you realize, you’re   getting angry too much.: That’s 10 words.

For example, “In the end, Stephen forgives.” That’ 5 words.