DON'T DISTURB THE DEAD

Quote of the Day: March 6,  2010

"Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here;
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones."

Shakespeare's Epitaph

Drawing on top by Ozias Humphry of Shakespeare [1564-1616]

SHAKESPEARE WAS RIGHT

Life really begins
only after the big insight:
there is an audience,
an audience of one,
me, myself and I.
Before that we think the play is for others.
Drama, costume, the teen years, school,
parties, the twenties, thirties, forties for some,
on stage with friends, jobs, relationships, play,
“the play’s the thing” …
that catches the conscience….
And then there are those times back stage –

all those second thoughts,
sometimes tears, sometimes fears:
“Did I say the wrong thing?”
“How did I do tonight?”
“Where am I?"

"What happened?"
“What’s next?"

"Is there a God?"
“Uh oh!”
That play ends.
That curtain closes. Then the real drama
begins on the inner stage of the inner me.
Isn’t that what Shakespeare was all about?
The show must go on.
Open the curtains.
Step out onto the stage,
Play your parts. Say your lines.
Hear the cues. Be ready

for the big questions.

Self. Others. God.

Comedy. Tragedy.

"To be or not to be?"

"Sweet are the uses of adversity, ...

Sermons in stones, and good in everything."
As You Like It.

"I will tell you my drift."

Much Ado About Nothing.

Real acting:
the rest of my life has just begun.

"The web of our life is of a mingled yarn,

good and ill together."

All's Well That Ends Well.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010

Drawing on top - The Droeshout Engraving - 1623. This was the first published portrait of Shakespeare [1564-1616]. It was an engraving commissioned by his friends and fellow actors.

ENJOY 

AND 

THANK

Quote of the Day: March 5, 2010

"My tongue is smiling."

Abigail Trillin, 4 years old, as she finished a dish of chocolate ice cream. Her dad, Calvin Trillin, quotes her in his book, Alice, Let's Eat, Random House Books, 1978

LAZARUS, OUTSIDE
MY OFFICE BUILDING

Hungry, starving….
It’s lunch break at work.
I walk out – past a bum,
sitting on the sidewalk.
He’s there every day;
but I stopped seeing him
about two months ago.
He’s always there – litter,
an empty bag flattened out
on the street – a helluva
place to park one’s bones.
He shakes his Styrofoam cup
begging for money.
I no longer hear his muted voice,
“Have pity on me!
Dip the tip of your finger
into your wallet and give
me a dollar – or some change.

Hungry. Starving.”
He disappeared. Did he die?
Is he on some other corner?
I died – and nobody said
at my eulogy, “He could
never go by a beggar on a
corner – without stopping
to give a dollar or some change.”
Now I wish I did – or someone
else did – because this is
a helluva way to be.





© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010 - This is poetic reflection for today's gospel, Luke 16:19-31, "The Rich Man and Lazarus."

OLD  AGE 

Quote of the Day: March 4,  2010

Old Age: “The time when men pay more attention to their food than to waitresses.”

Anonomous

THE PITS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 2 Wednesday in Lent is, “The Pits.”

When was the last time you heard someone say, “It was the pits.”

What is your word, phrase or sound for “The Pits”?

Mine is, “Ugh!”

"Ugh" as in “Ugly” or a derivation of that word or sound. “Ugh! The Pits!”

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading [Jeremiah 18:18-20] has the word “pit” in it – which triggered the title and thought for this homily. It’s from the Prophet Jeremiah. As you know he was thrown into a pit. It was the pits. It was the price he paid for being a prophet.

Jeremiah was ditched, pitched, thrown into a pit – a cistern – because he challenged and rubbed people the wrong way. [Cf. Jeremiah 381-13]

And in today’s gospel, Jesus says, “We’re going up to Jerusalem and I’m going to be wiped out – crucified, killed.” [Matthew 20:17-28]

It’s the pits guys. Get ready for it.

And they will hear none of this nonsense from Jesus.

It’s like saying, “We’re going to put this enormous image of Jesus on a cross in our church – right up front – in your face – because this is what everyone is headed for – you just don’t know when at times."

It’s the pits.

Then in today’s gospel, the mother of James and John comes to Jesus asking that her boys get top billing. She wants the perks for them – not the pits.

And Jesus laughs and tells her, “Life is all about drinking the cup of suffering and struggle and service.” Translation: “Who said it was going to be easy?”

LIFE

Is it the pits?

Does it depend upon whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist?

How come some people see differently than other people?

How come some people seem to always have a scowl on their face and others seem to always have a smile on their face?

How come some people seem to have more trouble than other people?

How do I come up with the attitudes, I have come up with?

Can we see in a child, how they deal with having to go to bed at a certain time, having to eat their vegetables, having to turn off their games and do their homework – or be at supper – can we see the 50 or 75 year older in that child on how they deal with those moments?

Is life the pits or the pats on the back?

How do we see life: it’s purpose, plan, ups and downs, ins and outs?

Is it a wedding banquet or a traffic jam?

Is it being the bride or bridegroom or the waiter or waitress?

Who looks happier?

How do you see life?

I love Thornton Wilder’s words from his play, The Skin of our Teeth. I quote them all the time. “My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it’s on your plate – that’s my philosophy.”

To me it’s not, “The Pits!” It’s, “The Attitude!”

CONCLUSION

I don’t know about you, but I avoid people if I can, who seem to see life as “The Pits!”

I don’t know about you, I see the pits in the watermelon and oranges and grapes with pits, but I spit them out or cut them out and enjoy the taste and flavor of the watermelon, the orange or the grape much more than the pits.

I also love it when someone cuts up the fruit – and removes all the pits. Yet if I see a pit, I simply spoon it out, and enjoy the chew of all that delicious fruit.

I know there are pot holes and pits, but it’s not the whole road – and I am grateful for whoever did all that work to create Route 97. It always seems to me to be a great ride.

And I pinch myself for being an optimist – because when I was sitting there in my playpen or high chair as a child, I know I didn’t say back then, “When I grow up, I’m going to be an optimist.”

But I do know, I did say to myself, “When I grow up, I don’t want to be a grouch.” I remember rather clearly the day we were playing stickball on the street – 62nd Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenue. It was the late 1940’s. An old man – probably in his 50’s – on our street wouldn’t give us our ball – a pink Spaldeen – that had gone in his front yard – but instead he growled at us.

And I have met grouches – who see life as “The Pits” – and I know Jesus talks about the cross – and I know life has its crosses – but I prefer Jesus’ text, “Unless you be like little children, you’re not going to be experiencing the kingdom.” Amen. [Cf. Matthew 19: 13-15]

MISSED IT

Quote of the Day:  March 3,  2010

“There is still sunshine on the wall.”

Miguel de Cervantes [1547-1616], Don Quixote, Pt. ii, chapter. 3.