October 24,  2020

BOWLING  BALL

 

It ended up on the bottom rack –
unused for 7 months now – 7 months.
It loved the game. It loved the whack
of smacking into pins – to send them
flying – to laugh – to roll – to play 10
hours some days – afternoon into the night –
but for some reason all seemed to stop.
Nobody told it about the Corona virus.

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

 October 24, 2020

 

Thought for Today

“Reformer: One who insists on his conscience being your guide.”

Someone

October 23, 2020

HURT

 

Suddenly, without warning,

the little kid starts to cry ….
 
Everyone looks around at
each other – wondering why?
Is that everyone of us – with a hurt
within us – that nobody knows about?
 
It’s just inside us …. Someone won’t
talk to us …. and just don’t know why?

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

 

October 23,   2020

Thought for Today

 

 “It is not so much what we have done amiss, as what we have left undone, that will trouble us, looking back.”

 

Ellen  Wood, English

playwright and journalist

October  22, 2020

HMMM!”

 
The whole room was filled
with his paintings – maybe
30 – and he sat there in
the center of a big gallery
room wondering what people
thought of his work. “Hmmm!”
 
The whole world was filled
with his creations – maybe
30 trillion gazillion works of art -
and as He walked through the
garden God wondered what people
thought of his work. “Hmmm!”
 

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 202

 October 22, 2020

 

Thought for Today

 

 “If at first you don’t succeed, try reading the directions.”

 

Anon

 

ALREADY AND   NOT YET

 

 INTRODUCTION

 

The title of my homily  for this 29^th Wednesday in Ordinary Time  is, “Already and Not Yet.”

 

I remember hearing the slogan or bumper sticker type message: “Already and Not Yet” – a bunch of years ago. I don’t remember doing much or enough thinking on just what they meant.  I got glimpses – but not enough.

 

I don’t remember preaching a sermon on that topic or theme.

 

TODAY’S READINGS

 

Today’s readings triggered this theme.

 

The gospel – Luke 12: 39-48 - talks about the not yet – the waiting – an advent theme as well as an end of the world or Second Coming theme. And the first reading – Ephesians 3:  2 -12 is filled with the already – the mystery of Christ is already unfolding in our midst. We are coheirs with Paul – with the Gentiles – copartners in the promise of Christ.

 

Paul tells us here in Ephesians we have already received this grace.

 

We have been given the inscrutable riches of Christ.

 

The light has been turned on to us.  We see because of the light.

 

GLIMPSES

 

Next – a question hit me.

 

Come up with an image – that would clarify – give me a glimpse of the already and the not yet.

 

I do poetry – so I figured I should or could come up with an image and a glimpse of these 2 realities – the already and the not yet.

 

How about a person going to a car dealer to get a new car?  I don’t know if they still do it this way. A person looks at different cars – likes one – and the dealer hands the possible buyer the keys and they go for a drive.  I would think that’s an already and a not yet experience.

 

7 kids are in the dining room – friends of Joey – who’s celebrating his 6^th birthday. Mrs. Joey’s mom walks in with the birthday cake – 6 candles – lit. 14 eyes are on the cake. Their tummies and their taste buds are already tasting their piece – and they have not yet had a plate with a big piece of triple layered cake on it yet.

 

One more example. In my last assignment – St. Mary’s Parish, Annapolis, Maryland, I had a lot of weddings. I heard many times – at wedding times – brides started looking forward to their wedding – picturing it – imagining it – as well as their moms – for their first daughter to get married. Those dreams – triggered by movies – friend’s weddings – being in wedding parties – or maid of honor – have been fermenting all their lives.

 

CONCLUSION

 

The title of my homily was, “Already and Not Yet.”

 

Paul in Ephesians calls his already – the why of his being called -  a grace given to him, the least of the holy ones. He had a taste of Jesus in the here and now – while alive.

 

Today’s gospel was all about the not yet – and the message is to be ready for the yet when it comes. I don’t picture God beating us – but I do picture each of us beating ourselves if we get lazy and don’t prepare for the Master when he comes   when we least expect.