December 24, 2019

PLUNK

He didn’t know there was a word

for a sound he loved to hear, “plunk!”

He didn’t know there was a word

for what he had done about 5 times

before he was 25: drop a rock down

off a ledge into a deep still lake

or a deep well – till he heard that

wonderful sound: “plunk!” Then,

one day - reading an Irish poet –

 there it was – the word:  “plunk”.

“Oooh,” he thought  - “Someone

else did what he loved to do:

drop rocks off cliffs or down wells

till he heard that wonderful sound

“plunk” – or “kerplunk” but it had

to be a good sized – roundish lump

of a rock – to make that wonderful

sound – so too it had to be a great

thought  - a powerful insight – a 10

times in a lifetime Godthought  that

fell deep, deep into the well or the

still lake of his mind – and he heard

it go “plunk” and sometimes “kerplunk!”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

December 24, 2019

Thought for today: 

“Teach thy tongue  to  say, ‘I do not know.’”  

Talmud

THE  STORY  BEHIND  THE  SONG

Sometimes they interview song writers with 

the question: “What was the story behind the 

song – the tick that tocked the clock? 

Sometimes that story is much more 

interesting than the song itself: the 

moment that caused the song’s sound. 

Sometimes the song takes the listener 

to the same place the songwriter has   

been – to the same murky messy moment.

And sometimes the song goes nowhere -

except to the complaint, “What happened

to the old sad songs they used to sing?”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 201

9

December 23, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“We don’t  see  things as they are.  We see things as we are.”  

Talmud

December 22,  2019

LIGHT   IN  THE  WINDOW

If we’re not self-centered, 

if we’re a bit nosy, we 

wonder what's  going on 

in that house with the light on. 

If we’re not self-centered,

if we’re distracted in prayer,

we wonder what that old man

lighting a candle is praying about.

If we’re not self-centered,

if we got a heart, we’ll stop to

talk to the beggar outside of

Church and give him a 5 or a 20.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

December 22, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Liberty  is  rendered  even  more  precious by the  recollection  of  servitude.”  

Cicero

VISITATION

INTRODUCTION

The  title of my reflection for today - December 21st - is “Visitation”.

That’s a theme in today’s two readings: Song of Songs 2 8-14; Luke 1: 39-45

Visitation.

Question: What do you reflect upon when you say the second joyful mystery of the rosary – which is: The Visitation.

TO UNDERSTAND THAT QUESTION

To understand what I mean by that question, let me go this way.

When John Paul II came up with his push for 5 more mysteries of the Rosary, I said to myself, “Oh no!”

Then in time I got used to how to handle these 5 new mysteries to reflect upon while saying the rosary.

I see the rosary the same as Muslims see a prayer rug. I take it out to tell myself  - and others – that I am now going to pray.

5 LIGHT BEARING MYSTERIES

When I say the 5 light bearing mysteries I go the following way some times.

For the first mystery: the baptism of Jesus I’ll think of 10 people whom I baptized  - one for each  Hail Mary – saying a prayer for them.

For the second mystery, Cana, I think of 10 people I married.

For the third mystery: preaching or proclamation I say prayers for 10 preachers that day -  at weddings, funerals, daily Mass, etc. for places – churches and retreat houses, etc.

So too that all people like Jesus move more and more towards Transfiguration – that 4^th Luminous Mystery.

And the 5^th Mystery – The Eucharist – that Jesus feeds us all with his being – and all Christians move back to the true presence of Christ – in the Bread – especially family members by name that they come back to Mass.

THE VISITATION

Okay, so that’s how I do the rosary – for all 20 mysteries.

I move it back and forth from Jesus and Mary to us – to me – and in that way the rosary becomes real for me.

So, for this second joyful mystery – the Visitation – the theme in today’s gospel, I’ll think of 10 great visits in my life – or 10 important visits people have or I’ve seen.

People getting home for Christmas.

People visiting neighbor in the hospital, the nursing home, the funeral home.

Lovers meeting  - rushing to be with each other as we hear in today’s first reading – from The Song of Songs – read at many a wedding.  It’s not always 1^st Corinthians Love is patient, love is kind ….

Or praying people will come back home to each other  - that family members will visit each other - talk to each other…. phones, skype, in person, e-mail, text….  Visits …. Visitation.

CONCLUSION

Life is mystery – mysteries – joyful, sorrowful, glorious, light giving - but not always.