February 27, 2019
Black History Month Thought for Today:
“I carry a notebook with me everywhere. But that's only the
first step.”
Rita Dove
Friday, February 15, 2019
February 26, 2019
INTRIGUING
WORDS
Smorgasbord, keepsake, curmudgeon,
moss, squeaky-clean, mucilage, laminate,
steamfitter, heirloom, G-man, minestrone,
seaweed, ramification, pink, slice, jar, jaw,
trumpet, sycamore, synthesis, nickel,
minimalist, tortoise, incognito, kayak, gill,
flax, elixir, dolly, grease, sesquipedalion,…
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019
February 25, 2019
Black History Month Thought for Today:
It is not the intelligent woman v. the ignorant woman; nor
the white woman v. the black, the brown, and the red, it is not even the cause
of woman v. man. Nay, tis woman's strongest vindication for speaking that the
world needs to hear her voice."
Anna
Julia Cooper [1858-1964], Ph.D.
February 24, 2019
MEASURING GENEROSITY
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 7th Sunday in
Ordinary Time - Year C - is, “Meauring Generosity.”
It’s a theme right there at the end of today’s gospel: Luke 6: 27-38.
So I would like to reflect upon the theme of generosity -
being generous. I believe that’s what today’s gospel is calling us to be - to
be generous, copious - prodigal in our love for each other.
Today’s gospel ends with the words, “The measure you use is
the measure God will use.”
What are your standards? What does being generous mean to
you? Do you have a limit when it comes to begin generous with your stuff, your
time, your forgiveness?
Some people’s standard is this big: stretch out your arms about
one foot. Now with those same arms
stretch out your arms about two fee. Which is more you when it comes to love
and forgiveness?
What is your standard? I believe Jesus is saying that we are
called to be this generous (360 degrees) becoming a circle, without beginning
and without end - being like God - whose image we are created in. It will break
our back to be that generous. We will be crucified. So what else is new? It
will drive the other crazy when we turn the other cheek, go the extra mile,
give them the shirt off our back.
Remember Oscar Wilde's Quote: "Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."
$1.00 FOR ICE CREAM
When we were kids my dad used to give us a $1.00 every
Sunday night to go over to the corner drug store on 61st and 4th
Avenue in Brooklyn to get ice cream. I used to love it: Breyers ice cream - Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.
You would walk in the drug store. Every thing on the right side
was for old people or big people. That
would be prescriptions and ace bandages and canes. My goal was straight ahead to the soda counter. We would get up on the
round twirly stools and spin around till the druggist came.
He once said, “Loose or brick?” I thought that was a type of
ice cream. My brother and two sisters killed me for that question.
Brick was the prepackaged ice cream. We wanted loose of course.
We would sit there and watched the druggist packing ice
cream into a while box. He would pack it in with one of those heavy duty steel
spoons or shovels and we would watch hoping he would put in extra.
A couple of times we would say, “More” and it often worked.
Those days are gone. It’s brick now. But no. You can still
get ice cream in Baskin Robbins and cone places and it’s up to the server to
give you the amount they are going to give you.
My brother Billy taught us, “When you go into Baskin-Robins,
always go to the big girl.” He was right. I’ve quoted my brother and people
came back and told me, “Your brother was right. The big girls give more.”
TODAY’S GOSPEL
In today’s gospel Jesus uses an moment from the market place.
The the seller would shake the bag 4 times, so that you saw yourself getting a
good deal. He would shake it. He would cone it. He would shake it. He would
shake it again. And each time he would get more into the bag or garment.
That’s the image that Jesus asks us to keep in mind when it
comes to being generous.
Turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile. Give the shirt off
your back. Forgive and you will change the world.
The world’s standards are and eye for an eye. Strike while
the iron is hot. Get the sucker. Get yours first. Win! That’s what Paul is
getting at in that middle reading.
FIRST READING
I think the first reading is put here to get across the
point that David could have killed Saul but didn’t. So too us, so many times.
Choice.
CONCLUSION
That’s enough.
So the call is to be generous with time and energy. To give
ourselves to the others, to the community, etc.
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