August 31, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Anyone  can  write one book: even politicians do it. Starting a second book reveals an  intention to be a professional writer.” 

Len Deighton  [1929 - ]

August 31,  2018

INSIDE

Hey, you never know  what’s inside. 

We hesitate at the door before we open it.

I bet the person who never had watermelon 

before ever expected it was red inside.

Hey pumpkins and some melons are orange inside.

Some people we thought nasty inside -

we find out they are nice inside - even

it they are not worried about God

or if Santa Claus is watching.

Me too sometimes.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 30, 2018

PREFERENCES

Isn’t that another interesting thing

about us people: we have preferences.

It’s wonderful, when it works out

or when we can make adjustments.

Some like the end piece of the

meatloaf. Some don’t. Wonderful.

Some like NBC; some like CNN.

Some like FOX - uh oh! Smile.

Some like the Early Mass,

some like the Evening Mass.

Some have given up on God and

some are discovering God’s Presence.

Some like the Father, some the
Son and some the Holy Spirit.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 30, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“In Mexico an air conditioner is called a politician because it makes a lot of noise but doesn't work very well.” 

Len Deighton [1929 - ]

HARD TIMES
SOME TIMES

Sometimes we’re going through 

hard times - and our song is the 

old song, “Hard times …. No more.” 

There’s a death or a divorce 

in the family. So and so is 

not talking to so and so no more. 

We’re out of work. We’re out of money. 

We’re just feeling out of it - and we don’t 

want to go though all this pain - no more. 

We’re up on the cross. We say to Christ, 

“I can’t do this no more - no mas.” 

Please cut short this Bad Friday. 

Skip Saturday and make today Easter - 

so I can rise to good times once more. 

Please God. Hard times …. No more.” 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

HARD TIMES COME AGAIN NO MORE

Stephen Foster 1854

1.
Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh! Hard times come again no more.

Chorus:

'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more.
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh! Hard times come again no more.

2.
While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh! Hard times come again no more.
Chorus

3.
There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh! Hard times come again no more.
Chorus

4.
'Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
'Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
'Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh! Hard times come again no more.
Chorus

I  AM 

INSIDE  MY  HEAD 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “I am Inside My Head.”

Today - August 29^th, we look at  the beheading of St. John the Baptist.

The gospel is quite vivid. It’s easy to picture the whole scene.  I’ve seen it acted out in a few movies about Christ. Movie producers and directors would obviously want to include a dance - of a young woman - dressed dancingly in a revealing dress - as she was manipulating her step-father - and pleasing all the men in the room.

It’s also easy to hear and think about Herodias, her mother, and her inability to let go of her anger towards John the Baptist.

Then there is Herod  and his bitter regrets that he shot his mouth off and said to Herodias’ daughter, the dancer, “I swear to you, ‘Ask for anything you want. I’ll give it to you – even up to half my kingdom.’”

THE FLY ON THE WALL

We’ve all heard the phrase, “the fly on the wall”?

At times we all say and think things like,  “Wow would I like to be a fly on the wall in the president’s marriage when his wife heard about the intern or the dancer who  could cause a storm.”

I remember a talk a nun named Maureen McCann gave years ago. She  used the image of a radio - or any speaking device that has a speaker loudness dial. She said it’s good to listen to what we ourselves are talking to ourselves about - inside our head.  She said there are various stations on the radio. Pick one. Turn up the volume and listen. She also said we talk to ourselves about all kinds of people and situations. Well, dial into one - turn up the volume - and then listen carefully.

Be the fly on the inside of the walls of your skull.

We humans spend all kinds of time thinking about what we say and do - every day.  How many different conversations do we have with ourselves?  How many topics do we cover? How many experiences have air time in our brain?

We all know  about Descartes’ famous saying, “I think. Therefore I am.” “Cogito. Ergo sum.” It’s one of the few things everyone can say in philosophy.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Looking at today’s gospel I see it is rich in human comments and conversations.

As already mentioned, Herodias can’t shake John the Baptist’s attack on her marriage situation.

As already mentioned, Herod bitterly regrets that he was over bragging and over promising, when he shot his mouth off to his step-daughter, the dancer. Checking out with her mother,  she had a blank check, so she then gives the ugly request, “I want the head of John the Baptist brought in on a silver platter.

I AM STATEMENTS

The title of my homily is, “I Am Inside My Head.”

Jesus liked to make I Am statements.

God did one big one to Moses in the Book of Exodus. Who are you God asked Moses and God answered, “I Am Who Am.”

In this homily I’m suggesting, “Listen to yourself.”

Clearer: Listen to your I am statements.

Don’t cut off your head. Listen to what’s going on inside your head.

What are your I am statements today?

I think, therefore I am.

I feel, therefore I am.

I am at Mass. God I need you.

I am happy today.

I’m worried about our Catholic Church today.

I’m worried about our country and our world today.

I’m thinking about my family today.

I regret, therefore I am.

I can’t let go of things – especially hurtful things people say – and I hold onto them for hours, days, weeks, years, sometimes a lifetime; therefore I am.

I want to scream sometimes when I see wrong, unfairness, laziness, craziness, and sometimes I say nothing and then beat on myself for not speaking up – and sometimes I do speak up – and when I do, sometimes people chop my head off – or I do it to myself; therefore I am.

I am an angry echo – echo – echo in the soul – anger triggered by the presence of another, or the reminder of another, or of a painful experience from another – and it seems ever times I run into this person or see this person – I want to cut them down. I want to chop off their head.

I cry, therefore I am.

I tried, therefore I am.

I pray, therefore I am.

I laugh, therefore I am.

I’m funny, therefore I am.

I forget, therefore I am.

When I am young, I spend too much time in the future; when I am old, I spend too much time in the past. Therefore I am.

I die. Therefore I was – because others cry, laugh, tell stories about me and then in time, I am forgotten – and the words and numbers on my tombstone, fade.

I am I am today.

God, Christ, you are - you are today.

Let’s do this life together.

I am with you all days - and I believe you said, “I am with you all days, even to the end of the world.”

Listen up.

Hopefully we all say, "I am...."

August 29, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“As the global expansion of Indian and Chinese restaurants suggests, xenophobia is directed against foreign people, not foreign cultural imports.” 

Eric Hobsbawm  [1917-2012]