Thought for Today
“If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and 1 minute resolving it.”
Albert Einstein
Monday, March 16, 2020
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Saturday, March 14, 2020
THREE MEN IN
A BOAT
Picture three men – one an old man – two in their mid
30’s.
There at a dock in the city of Tiberias. It’s around 4
pm.
They have rented out a small boat. They get in the boat
and head out to the middle of the sea of Galilee.
There is a decent wind and they raise their sails.
They settle for a place in the deepest part of the Lake
of Galilee – where it’s about 70 feet to the bottom.
Each of the three men have a rock with a piece of calf skin or vellum
tied around it.
Each has writing on the calf’s skin they are holding –
which is tied to the rock they are about to drop and let sink into the lake.
Each is going to give a small speech and then drop their
rock into the depths of the sea – rocks which have their sins connected to
them.
The youngest son goes first and says, “My brother, my
dad, I’m sorry I ruined our family name with
all my sins in that far country I went to a couple of years ago. My
motives for coming home were not the greatest.
I’m sorry I hurt both of you as well as myself, so thank you for
forgiving me.
He dropped his rock into the water and all three watched
it sink.
The oldest son went next. “I was the worst sinner –
unwilling to forgive you dad for being so forgiving of my brother and for being
so challenging to me. Plus, younger brother I’m sorry it took me so long to
forgive you.”
He dropped his rock into the lake. All three watched it
sink to the bottom.
Lastly, the father said, “Forgive me younger son for not
coming after you. And older son, forgive
me for not giving you space and time – to figure all this out. I waited for
your brother to wake up and come home, but I didn’t give you any time. Instead
I came right after you. Please forgive me.”
Then he dropped his rock with his words on vellum into
the lake.
And all 3 watched it sink to the bottom.
Carefully they all hugged each other and cried and
laughed.
The older brother on the way back to shore and to get
some breakfast asked his dad, “Why did you pick this lake to do this?”
“Oh,” said the
dad. “It was because of something Micah the Prophet said. ‘You, God, will cast
into the depths of the sea all our
sins….’ Well, since it’s taking us all these years to let go of all of this
hurt, I thought we needed God to give us some help in forgiving each other.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is a reflection on the readings for this morning's Mass - the 2nd Saturday in Lent.
The gospel is the story of "The Prodigal Son" - Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32. I've preached and written lots of different sermons and poems and reflections on this gospel - over the past 55 years. That's probably why I've done so many different items.
The First Reading for today is Micah 7: 14-15, 18-20 - so that's where I got the idea in the last paragraph of this reflection.
Amen.
March 14, 2020
POTATOES
If we all looked like potatoes,
how would that make us feel?
Picture or imagine that? Potatoes.
how would that make us feel?
Picture or imagine that? Potatoes.
Strawberries, watermelons,
apples and oranges, some
of those don’t look too bad.
So when you’re sitting there
at the bus stop - look around.
Smile as you look at different faces.
at the bus stop - look around.
Smile as you look at different faces.
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020
Friday, March 13, 2020
THE RED KITE
Life is like a red kite flying over us - reminding us - of moments from our childhood - moments with our dads - who could do everything - like trying to get a red kite to fly - like trying to believe there is a God - like trying to believe there is life after this life - like after the grave.
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