Monday, January 27, 2020


January 27, 2020

NEAR  MISS

I shot a gun once, in fact, twice.
I missed both times. The guy who
was showing me how to shoot a rifle
put a bottle – it was green – on a log –
with a hill as a back drop – just in case -
just in case I was  a really bad shot. I was.
All my life I’ve been trying to say things –
but it seems every time I miss. Yet I hope:
I hope I had some near misses – at least
2 things I’ve been trying to say.

© Andy Costello, Reflections


January  27,  2020

Thought  for  Today 



“Incense is prayer
That drives no bargain.
Child, learn from incense
How best to pray.”

Alfred Barrett


Sunday, January 26, 2020




16 PEOPLE  IN  A ROOM

Irritant – angry – dictator 
interrupter  - silent – successful
observer – generous – magnetic –
swift – stuck – impatient – lazy –
forever hurt – poet – Christ ….
Which one am I today?
Which one am I today, O Lord?

© Andy Costello, Reflections


January  26,  2020

Thought  for  Today





 “When you’re my size in the pros,  fear is  a sign  you’re not stupid.”

Jerry Levias

Saturday, January 25, 2020





THE   CONVERSION 
OF  ST.  PAUL 


INTRODUCTION 

Today, January 25th we’re  focusing on the conversion  of St. Paul. 

Today’s first reading - Acts 23: 3-16 - gives us one of  the two versions of his conversion that are in the  Acts of the Apostles.  We could read either. [Cf. Acts  9: 1-22.]

We don’t know what day it was that this actually happened – but January 25th is as good as any.

Any day is a good day to get new insights, change, convert, grow.

DETAILS

Saul’s name changed to Paul. Paul’s brain changed.  He had been against  Christians – arresting them – chaining them – dragging them to Jerusalem - having them imprisoned – having them killed.

He was there for the stoning to death of Stephen the deacon.

His thought patterns changed.

He realizes his wrongness.

He describes it as a blindness.

He realizes what he was doing.

He gets baptized and becomes a great voice that adds new  Good News to the history of religion in our world.

He does what today’s gospel [Mark 16: 15-18] challenges us to do: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

Paul  is still doing this.  People are still reading and hearing and thinking about his messages.

Today’s a good day to say: I have to think about this.  He made quite a change.

To me that’s one of life’s big questions. Can a person change?  We’ve all experience people we wondered about.  We inwardly asked: Can he or she ever change?

Saul – Paul did. Buddha and Augustine changed?

Every Lent – on Ash Wednesday – every Christian hears the words: Change and believe in the Good News – or Remember you are dust and into dust you shall return.
 
WHAT PAUL GIVES US

Besides messages in the Acts of the Apostles, his letters give us messages that people have received and in this way - now with Christ in their lives - they end up becoming new in new and newer ways. 

HOMEWORK

We could do some homework.

I think a good practiced is to take a book of the Bible for the year.  It’s still January.  One of these years pick a letter of Paul – read it and then line up say 1 key message in that letter that is worth making one’s own.

Like picking Galatians.

Like I like Galatians 6: 2: "Bear one another’s burden. In this way you'll be fulfilling the Law of Christ."

CONCLUSION

Then at the end of the year you'll hear someone say, "Wow you’ve changed."




January 25, 2020

TENSION  ON  THE  TABLE 


He placed his glass of scotch – with ice – 
on the table top - on rich antique wood - and 
she -  the woman of the house -  spotted this 
from the other side of the room – and it stopped 
the flow in the conversation she was having. 

A loud inner scream erupted from within, “No! No!” 
And she sped across the room – picked up his 
glass and said, “We have better scotch than this. 
Let me get it for you.” She did and she napkin 
wiped the table top with an inner, “Phew!” 

Her husband noticed the whole scene, thinking 
“I wish I was an antique table and I got some of 
her attention to some of these details. Hey we’re 
only married 24 years. She’s no antique but let me 
tell you how I feel at times. Good thing I don’t drink.” 

 
© Andy Costello, Reflections


January   25,   2020

Thought  for  Today 



 “If you dam a river it stagnates.  Running water is beautiful water.”  


English proverb