February 11, 2017

LECTURE

Was there a “Life Lecture” for you -

some time back there in the spring

or even fall of your life? Was there

a talk that you can still hear - because

the speaker spoke inside you - sat

down at your inner kitchen table?  

You connected. You chatted. You

sipped the tea or wine or beer of

wisdom and you went, “Oh, okay,

that’s how life works.” And by the way,

if you were asked to give a  lecture of

your 5 keys to life or 7 secrets of happiness

or the 10 commandments  how to treat

one another, what would it sound like?

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

February 10, 2017

SOUNDS FROM A DISTANCE

There are always sounds in the distance -

drums that distract is - making our heart

beat faster - or a violin that sooths us -

sounds from a distance - a fire truck,

a church bell, a kid in the park yelling,

“Mira! Look at me!” But the ones we

really listen to - are the words that return -

an acid comment that put us down 45 years

ago - when a teacher or a coach said the 

wrong thing - and we let those sandpaper words

still rub us the wrong way - some every day.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

February 9, 2017

UNNOTICED

Isn’t it funny, in any given scene,

if there’s seven or more people,

there are two who don’t want to

be noticed and one who definitely

wants to be noticed? The rest, I

don’t know about them and I certainly

don’t want them to notice that I’m

trying to notice what’s really going on.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017
- Painting: Pierre -August Renoir,
Luncheon of the Boating Party.

February 8, 2017

SHRINES

You spot them, sometimes

when you least expect them….

Walking through the woods

or going by someone’s yard….

A neckless with a tiny picture

of one’s husband along with

his big solid metal wedding ring….

A statue to Saint Lucy - on a book shelf,

with a pair of glasses and a small candle....

A gravestone - with a plastic flower,

a baseball hat and two bowling shoes….

A wallet with pictures of all one’s

grand kids - along with one’s parents….
A Kyoto garden, raked sand, flowing
water, three big well chiseled rocks....

A church, front bench, right side, in front

of a picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help....

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

February 7. 2017

WORRIES

Worries like worms wiggle

and slide through the soil

of our soul. Sometimes

they come up and out of

the earth when it rains.

What’s wonderful is when

we see them dead and dried

up on an afternoon sidewalk.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

ORIGINS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily of my reflections for this morning is, “Origins.”

It comes out of today’s first reading for this 5^th Monday in Ordinary Time when we start the book of Genesis: 1: 1-19.  Sometimes we go through a whole book of the Bible, but this time we’re going to get Genesis for just two weeks.  As you know Genesis is a long book, so we’ll get sections of it at other times of the year.

GENESIS - BEGINNINGS - ORIGINS

Genesis - as we know - means beginnings.

I chose the word “Origins” to get at a few thoughts for a Monday morning.

There is something in us humans that triggers origins questions at times.

How did I get here? Where did I come from?

Countries and companies like to put in writing where they come from.  But it’s usually well after they are established.

So too individuals - so too families.

I noticed about in the past 25 years or so - people seem to be more interested in genealogies than in the past.  I don’t know if that’s true, but that’s my sense as I think about this in a first draft talk about “Origins”.

The latest thing we’re seeing is DNA reporting.

You send in some spit and some money and you get a report on your DNA.

I am tempted to try that, but I hesitate, because  I wonder and worry about follow up mail, etc. etc. etc.

PENTATEUCH AND THE BIBLE

The first 5 books of the Bible - the Pentateuch - gives us origins stuff - but we can say, so too the whole Bible.

Our Jewish Bible begins with a creation account. Better linguists point out that there are two solid creation accounts here in the beginning of Genesis - with other material mixed in.

When we studied Genesis we learned that lots of primitive cultures from around the world have primitive creation accounts.

In fact, I have a collection of Creation Accounts - from different cultures.

People want to know about ancestors.

People want to know about plants, trees, animals, the sun, the moon, and the sky.

Genesis, today’s first reading, will give us the first 4 days of creation.

Genesis also gives us the next 3 days tomorrow.

Genesis gives us names of people and places.

MAIN MESSAGES

And if one takes the time - and reads enough about Genesis or any creation account - key main messages can be gleaned from the texts.

God is our Creator.

God creates good.

So the next question is: where does bad come from?

Genesis will tackle that one - when it tells us about the good tree and the bad tree - and not to choose to eat from this one tree.

So the message is: God doesn’t create bad.

So a message is, we have a choice.

The good fruit, bad fruit, is a choice story. It’s basic. It’s primitive. It’s also profound.  In this choice story - this good and evil story - the message is that we are the ones who messed up - grew up and choose evil.

OUR ROOTS - OUR ORIGINS

The title of my homily is, “Origins.”

We were created by our parents - and all is good.

When did we first realize evil?

I don’t know the answer to that - but my earliest memory of evil might have been a moment when I was walking along 4^th avenue in Brooklyn. I was a tiny kid at the time. I began hearing two men in a gas station yelling at each other. Then one threw a tire iron - that metal plus sign - a cross - at the other guy. I can still hear that metal sound clinking on the ground ever since - plus the cursing and the anger.

I also remember seeing the police tracking down a pocket book thief - at a park as a kid.

Those two moments are still in my memory. I don’t remember kids being mean to other kids.

All was good - but I didn’t write my Genesis - so I haven’t written it.

I talk to my sister from time to time to get origins stories.

I assume I have to do more listening to our oral history and more writing and reading my Genesis.

CONCLUSION

Enough already….

Did I trigger any thoughts in you about your origins?

What are your origins questions?

What has been your experience of “The Good”.

What has been your experience of “The Bad” or “Evil”.

I remember reading something Jacques Maritain saying, “Okay you bring up the Problem of Evil, but please bring up the Problem of Good as well.”  

Then he added, “Why is there so much good in the world?”

February 6, 2017

LIKE A MOUSE

If I had to give you a nickname

it would be, “The Mouse.” Why?

Well, you’re quiet. You sneak

along the wall - when nobody’s

around. You don't seem to be
interested in anything I'm 
interested in. It seems you can't
be caught. Now I don't want 
to be catty - so I'm quiet too.
Besides all this, I have no clue as 
to what kind of cheese you want.
What are you after in all these
scamperings all over the place?

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017