July 20, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“All  sins  are  attempts  to  fill  voids.” 

“Tous les Péchés sont des tentatives pour comber des vides.” 

Simone Weil [1909-1943], 

in La Pesanteur et la grace 

(Gravity and Grace, 1948), p. 27.

July 20, 2018

SECRETS

Secrets -

sins and hurts -

on tiny pieces of paper -

are stuck between the stones

of our soul.  We pull them out

to read them every once in a while -

but most of the time we ignore

them - or push them deeper into

the skin of our soul - always

knowing - when we acknowledge

them - we can be that much more

understanding and kinder

of each other.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

July 19, 2018

SILENCE

Find a place that is silent -

a corner room or a basement chair.

Then, as they say in church,

make sure all electronic devices

are turned off. Next take 10 minutes -

exactly 10 minutes -  of silence. 

Be silent.  Be still. Be quiet. 

At first devices in your mind will be talking. Acknowledge each voice. 

Then turn them off - one by one. 

Notice them as they disappear. 

Next .... Listen .... Listen ....

Then notice God will be there - 

right there, right now, now, now....

The Silent God is with you.

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

July 19, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“We’re all of us guinea pigs in the laboratory of God.  Humanity is just a work in progress.” 

Tennessee Williams [1911-1983] 

in  Camino Real [1953] block 12

July 18, 2018

12 WRITERS

Find 12 writers whose words 

and wisdom are just waiting there.

Get a crowbar!  Open up your

mind and open up their books.

Or do Ted Talks - or lectures or

talking books - and listen! Think!

For example, read Anne Lamott,

or Robert Fulghum or John Donne,

or John Shea or Annie Dilliard or

Barbara Brown Taylor or Rene Girard,

or John McPhee, Jane Austin, Hafiz,

Thomas Moore or your autobiography.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

July 18, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy.  Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.”  

John H. Gardner, Excellence: Can We Be Equal and Excellent Too? 1971

WAR AND PEACE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “War and Peace.”

I never read Tolstoy’s book - War and Peace - but I did see the movie. Both are very long.

What’s your take on  War and Peace - not the book, not the movie, but the reality?

HISTORY

How well did you do in history?  What were your text books like? What are today’s history books like in comparison? What are the meetings like that put together history courses for those in high school, college, West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and Master’s Programs?

Most of us had U.S. history - so we know about the French and Indian wars, the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, the Civil War, the Mexican War and the Cuban wall, then World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afganistan wars.

I think the closest war to Annapolis was the Battle of the Severn - March 25, 1655. Annapolis was once the U.S. Capital 1783-84. If that stayed that way, would we have been in for damage in the Civil War? 

In doing some note taking last night, I spotted that the Treaty of Paris was signed on Duke of Gloucester and Main Street in 1783. I was trying to picture that scene. Where are the papers right now?

I have never taken an Annapolis city tour - so I wonder what they say about War and Peace - perhaps mentioning the Naval Academy in our midst.

A few years ago at St. John’s College we had four script plays to commemorate what was going on in Annapolis 150 years ago during the Civil War. Robert Warden, of our parish, got St. Mary’s into the story telling. I remember there was no direct fighting in town. Ooops! I think there were some bar fights.  Then there was the big Parole Camp out near Parole - for prisoners.

I’ve been to Gettysburg - which is close to Maryland - but I haven’t gotten to Antietam - near Sharpsburg, Maryland yet. I have to put that onto my bucket list.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings triggered for me to take this  tiny look at the issue of war and peace for last night and this morning. Both readings and the psalm - address the issue of cities attacked, under siege,  and captured or destroyed  in the Biblical Times.

The Bible deals with wars and rumors of war - all through its pages.

The history of the world has lots of pages that cover war.

With airplanes and big guns - mortars and missals - diminish the value of  walls and castles.

What’s your take on War?  What’s your take on peace?

ONGOING WAR

I’m sure there is plenty of study about war - being ongoing - that there is always some fighting somewhere in our world - with hopes for peace.

Right now there is ongoing fighting in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Ukraine, Somalia, and lots of other places.

What is our ongoing take on all this?

Be grateful for those who serve and protect us?

Keep praying for peace.

Be peaceful in our own families, with neighbors, with the older and the younger generation. It should mean we be at peace with ourselves and do all we can to everyday peacemakers in everyday situations.

CONCLUSION

Just some wonderings about war and peace.