Thought for Today
“I can accept failure.
Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
Michael Jordan
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
PEGGY
Everyone should have a sister named “Peggy”.
Today – February 11th – would be her 82nd
birthday – but her deathday – got in the
way of that – November 5, 2013.
She was a sister – doubly.
She was our sister – Peggy – to Billy, Mary and myself.
She was Sister Saint Monica as an Immaculate Heart of
Mary nun – to so many sisters in that community of Sisters – centered in
Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Nuns in her community were allowed some where back there
– to go back to their original names.
Peggy stuck with Sister Saint Monica – maybe because she
got the nickname of “Saint” at times – and/or because she liked the name,
“Monica” – and she had a wonderful niece named Monica – the reason she picked
Monica for her nun’s name.
Who wouldn’t like the name Sister Saint Monica?
I’m sure if she had a name – in being a nun – like Sister
Mary Aligatious – she would have been back to Peggy on Day 1.
She was a servant – not just because Jesus calls us
Christians to be servants – not just because that was part pf the title of the
nun group she joined – but because it was her nature.
A servant ….
[Here's Sister St. Monica with her first class: 69 darlings as she called them in St. Mary of the Mount, Pittsburgh]
As a result, she ended up serving in many places in Pennsylvania: Williamsport, Pittsburgh, Dushore, Sugar Notch, Scranton,. She was also in Manhasset, L.I. NY, Wilmington, Delaware, Rocky Mount, North Carolina and Verona and Delran, New Jersey.
When stuck, when someone came down with a sickness, Peggy
was a piece on the chess board who could easily be moved.
She loved Rocky Mount. North Carolina. She got me – her brother the priest – to
preach a parish mission – in her parish for a week. I could see how much the
parish, the parents, and the kids in the school there loved her.
She loved her last job – getting old nuns in the Marywood
Scranton area – jobs as tutors for kids of all ages. It also got her a car that came with the job
– not a new one – but a decent car.
She liked Harvey’s Bristol Cream – a party – making Irish
Soda Bread – scale models of the tough strong bread with raisons and carraway
seeds.
Mary – was always my favorite sister – and I used to love
to say that to bust on Peggy – well Mary and I miss her this day.
We have to get up to her grave in Moscow, Pennsylvania,
not too far from Scranton – again soon – but not when there is snow on the
ground.
There’s more – this is just a little bit – about my
sister Peggy – a Saint - and such a neat
person.
Thought I give a little shout out for her today her
birthday.
Last night on Bull – Bull’s wife had a baby – and a
doctor – a heart surgeon – whom Bull and his team helped in a trial – showed up
at the hospital to thank Bull and see their new baby. The doctor kissed the baby and said something
like “The world is much better today –
because you are now on the planet.”
I felt that way about my sister Peggy.
I conclude with my opening comment: everyone should have a sister named “Peggy”.
February 11, 2020
WRONG DAY
Some days are wrong days.
There is no weather woman or man
on TV to tell us tomorrow is going
to be a wrong day. Sorry.
Some days are wrong days.
It could be the two comments
or misunderstandings that came
into work today with so and so.
Some days are wrong days.
Or it could have been the traffic –
a bridge between us was out –
or traffic just was not flowing all day.
Some days are wrong days.
I noticed people were tapping
their fingers or scratching their
backs today a bit
more than usual.
Some days are wrong days.
The only consolation is that
there was yesterday and we’ll find out
what tomorrow will be like tomorrow.
Some days are only a day away.
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020
Monday, February 10, 2020
PRAYING IN THE
DARK CLOUD
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 5th Monday in
Ordinary Time is, “Praying in the Dark Cloud.”
At the end of today’s first reading there is a sentence
that grabbed me: “The Lord intends to dwell in the dark cloud….”
That seems quite intense – as well as intriguing – as
well as interesting.
It’s 1 Kings 8:12.
I looked up about a dozen translations of this text
translated from the Hebrew “BAR ARA PEL”
and most have either “the dark cloud” or “the thick cloud.”
It triggered for me immediately, Saint John of the Cross – as well as F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s comment
in an essay in The Crack-Up.
Quote: “In a real dark night of the soul
it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day.”
People have certainly experienced God –
and screams for God – and the feelings of the absence of God – when there is
horror happening – liquor being spilled – relationships or family is falling
apart or being flimsy and they can’t
sleep at three o’clock in the morning – or three in the afternoon.
PRAYER THOUGHT
Solomon tells us in this text from 1st Kings that he built a princely house – a dwelling for the Lord –
where The Lord can abide forever – but then once more his comment, “The Lord
intends to dwell in the dark cloud.”
If we look at our life, we know we have experienced God
in churches as well as in dark clouds.
We have experienced God in sunrises and sunsets – in the mountains or on
or at the ocean – the desert or the maternity ward.
In the scriptures we have the prominence of clouds – as
places where people experienced God. For example, In Exodus we have the
pillar of fire and the cloud – leading Israel in the wilderness.
It’s good to sit on a porch on a rainy day – if there is
roof overhead - and watch the rain and
the clouds and experience God. It’s good
to get a window seat on a plane – on a cloudy day – and look out the window as
our plane breaks out of the clouds and all is light – if it’s daytime. Or it’s
good to sit on a porch at night and look at the sky or the stars or both – and
the red moon – like last night – and the silver moon – full or in slivers - other
nights.
THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING
That comment in 1 Kings 8: 12 also triggered for me,
thoughts about The Cloud of Unknowing – the book. This 14th
century book is still around – and one can read it on line – and read commentaries
on it.
Tricky stuff – if it brings us to realize – we can never
nail down God – even on a cross – or in words – or images.
The Hebrews gave us the 1st and 2nd
commandments – as a warning not to have false images of God – and to think we
know God – as God really is.
Life is getting glimpses of those we live with – but as
they said of JFK, “Johnny We Hardly Knew You.”
Well, if that’s with each other, it’s a zillion zenith glimpses getting
to know God.
Yet in the meanwhile, the clouds lift at times and we get glimpses of the Son.
In the meanwhile, if you find yourself in the dark when
it comes to God, count yourself in the company of Mother Teresa and every
person – even the atheists – when they wonder and wrestle about God –
especially when they are in a dark cloud.
Or like Saint Scholastica, whose feast is today, who
wanted to talk to her twin brother on a long dark rainy night.
February 10, 2020
WINTER RAIN
Not as nice as Spring or Summer rain,
but Winter rain has its blessings! Take them.
Beats snow if you’re traveling. Washes
your car and the roads, if you’re lazy.
Softens up the earth – soaks roots –
and satisfies thirsty trees and plants.
“Winter rain” – sounds like the name of an
Interesting novel or a short poem, but who
who has the time to write it – unless there is
winter rain on the other side of your window.
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020
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