September  1,  2020

Thought  for  Today

“The one who is afraid to throw the dice will  never  throw a six.”

Chinese  Proverb 

August 31, 2020

MOONLIGHT

It was a full moon. It was a dark night.

There were few clouds. Most was clear.

Someone yelled, “You have a camera.

“Quick! Get it! Get a picture of the moon.”

I tried – but my picture was all shake and shimmer -

and the blurry  light of the moon on the ocean.

I couldn’t capture the picture with my expensive camera,

so I had to settle for seeing it all - with just my eyes.

But I did let the moon and the whole dark
scene slide into my random access memory.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

August   31,  2020

Thought   for  Today

“Priest’s  Protest  at  Retirement

The  81-year-old parish priest of an Udine church in North Italy rent his vestments, smashed communion wine on the floor and ordered his bishop out of the chapel during a packed mass last week.

The spectacle was Father Angelo Quirini’s last performance  in a series of protests against Bishop Alfredo Battisti’s attempts to force him to retire.

Bishop Battisti’s announcement to the congregation during the mass that Fr Quirini was retiring had provoked the priest’s wrath.

His fourth and final protest gesture was to turn out all the lights in the church.  The astonished parishioners, left in the dark,  then heard him declare at the top of his voice from the direction of the altar, ‘Go, Bishop, while you still have the chance.’”

by our Rome correspondent

Found this last night in a box

of old letters.  Someone sent it 

to me as a newspaper clipping.  

It’s  listed “Catholic Herald” 

5/10/91, England.

August  30, 2020

HAVES   AND  HAVE   NOTS

That’s us, all of us,

haves and have nots:

a sense of humor,

the ability to speak in both Spanish and English,

a wallet with several credit cards and many $20’s,

a car that smells new,

an 18 year old body,

some stories, some regrets, some envies, 

a unique laugh,

the ability to still run up the street in the rain,

a hurt from way back,

loneliness when going by a certain cemetery,

some humility from a really broken marriage,

a fake Rolex watch,

a trombone I used to play,

some really old baseball cards,

a red Hulu Hoop I used to be really good at.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

August   30,  2020

Thought  for  Today

“After the [leader’s ] death,  his disciples came together and talked about the  things he had done.  When it was Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s turn, he asked them: ‘Do you know why our master went to the pond each day at dawn and stayed there for a little while before coming home again?’   They did not know why.  Rabbi Zalman continued: ‘He was learning the song with which the frogs praise god.  It takes a very long time to learn that song.’”

Martin Buber

August   29,   2020

WELL  CONNECTED

I looked around at my stuff:

A ballpoint pen from Aunt Nora….

A flannel shirt from Mary Joan ….

A classy shirt from Sandy and Jim ….

A suitcase from Maryann and Brent ….

A scarf from Kathy and Steve ....

A shamrock window light catcher from Jan ….

A pair of shoes from Mary ….

A picture of Evelyn and Eileen ….

A corona 19 mask from Maureen ….

A journal book from Herminia and Penny ….

Wow!  I’m well connected.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

August   29,  2020

Thought   for  Today

Ma  Raine:  “The blues help you get out of bed in the morning. You get up knowing you ain’t alone.  There’s something wise in the world.  Something’s been added by that song.  This be an empty world without the blues.  I take that emptiness and try to fill it up with something.”

August  Wilson