Sunday, March 5, 2017


I  HATE  CHOICES, 
I  LOVE  CHOICES 

Once upon a time there were twins: Penny and Dollar.

Yes,  that’s what their parents named them: Penny and Dollar.

Yes, that was the names these twins were baptized with: Penny and Dollar.

A girl named Penny and a boy named Dollar.

They were wondering if the priest would say at the time of their baptism: “Why don’t you pick saints names?” 

“Nope”, the priest said, “It’s your choice”  - and after he heard the reason for the names - he said, “Great Choices.”

Penny was named after her great grandmother - Penelope - better known as Penny all through her life.   She was so excited that her grandkids chose to name their baby girl after her. Wow. What an honor. All her life she wondered if anyone would ever chose to call their kid Penelope. Well, they didn’t. Then named her Penny - not Penelope - a name she never liked - but Penny a name she always loved.

Now what name would they give Penny’s twin brother?

Surprise, they chose Dollar. Yes, Dollar - a very unique name, if there ever was a unique name.  It was Penny’s husband’s nick name. His real name was Bill - which became in time and life, “Dollar” - as in Dollar Bill - and then shortened to just “Dollar”.

When Penelope and Bill walked into a family gathering everyone loved calling them Penny and Dollar  - the richest people in the whole wide world.

And at every family celebration, every birthday party, ever Thanksgiving, they loved walking into the house - and as first order of business they would give every kid and every adult - present - a present of a penny - “A penny from Penny” as she loved to say - and always a shiny penny at that - every time - and a brand new dollar bill - crisp and clean -  from Dollar -every time.

Everyone loved it - and got used to it - lining up in the living room - all in a straight line - receiving there crisp dollar bill and their bright shiny penny from Penny and Dollar.

Not bad. Great idea. Unique family tradition - and unique family story: great.

Now in time everyone got used to the twins names - Penny’s name never needed at explanation to others and especially to teachers in school. But Dollar’s name being Dollar - now that took time getting used to - and the explanation about his great grandfather - Dollar Bill - usually just called, “Dollar.”

But a name is a name. Personality is what counts.

What kind of kids, what kind of persons were Dollar and Penny?

Well, like most people, you have to know them - you’d have to be with them - to get to know them.

Let me put it this way.

Penny loved choices. Dollar hated choices.

Penny became a smile.  Dollar became a whine.

Penny was a happy face. Dollar was an unhappy face.

Every time they went to Burger King or Wendy’s or McDonalds, when Penny saw the list - the choices - the menu - she loved studying the menu above the counter where you made your order - the options - the possibilities - and then with a great smile on her face - she would announce her choice and always finish with the sentence, “I love choices.”

Every time they went to Friendlies or Dunkin Donuts or Burger King, Dollar hated it - and would often say with a whine, “I hate choices.”

He didn’t mind it when people made the choice for him - even when there was a dollar special.

So Dollar became kind of narrow in his outlook - the way he saw and the way he did life; while Penny became quite open for more and more possibilities and much more happiness in life.

Penny loved life - especially since there were so many choices - so many colors, so many TV programs, friends, sports, musical instruments, what to do on Saturdays.

Penny loved it that she was in a sister-brother twinship - as opposed to a sister-sister twinship. She didn’t have to be like a couple of sisters who were twins in her school - both always wearing the same outfit.  Ugh, she would say,  “I love choices.”

So Penny became good news - a smile - while Dollar became sad news - a whine.

Why? Who knows?

Who knows why we become whom we become and how we are?

A little baby in a baby seat in a car doesn’t think to himself or herself, “I’m going to become a whine, an unhappy person all my life - or I’m going to be a happy baby.

Nope we don’t know how all this happens. It’s one of the mysteries of life.

Why did Adam and Eve become the way Adam and Eve became?

Why did Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit?

The Bible gives some reasons - for example. to be like God - at least that was what the devil, that snake in the grass, told Eve.

And why did Adam eat the forbidden fruit? We’ll never know that either - but we know he blamed his wife - because he said she made that choice for him.

But what the Bible tried to tell us is that we have choices - and some choices are not healthy - and some choices are.

And at some point - we have be more like Penny - discover choices - make good ones - and avoid choosing bad ones.

Now when Penny and Dollar studied this stuff in religion class, Penny got it and her twin brother Dollar didn’t.

Dollar chose not to think - just to memorize the answers.

His sister Penny tried to tell him the reasons for things - that it’s great to have choices  - and to resist the temptation to be lazy….  She often said to her brother, “Hey Dollar, think. It’s great that we can choose - not who our parents are - not that we’re twins - not what name we got - but in time we can choose to try to laugh and smile and make life nice and sweet for each other - and see the beauty of all the possibilities we all have every day.

Penny told Dollar, “I know you hate blueberry pie, but grandma loves making blueberry pie, so choose to eat it - ask to have it smothered with peach ice cream, I’ve noticed that’s your favorite - even though you say you have no favorites. So choose to make grandma’s day by eating her blueberry pie.”

It took Dollar longer than it had to take, but slowly he got it.


He got it because he chose to listen to his sister. He got it because he chose to change - but slowly. He got it because he realized he had the power over some things in life - not all - but some - and those choices can help a person to change from being a whine to becoming a smile. Amen.


O O O O O O O

[This was a story I wrote last night for our Kids' Mass this morning at 8 AM.  The theme was "Choices' - as chosen by the 4th Grade. It's the First Sunday of Lent - Year A].
March 5, 2017


TEMPTING

Garden or desert ….
Both have their temptations ….
There is forbidden fruit everywhere ….
Snakes in the grass and under rocks
whisper, “Take and eat” - and we bite
into rocks that are not bread or fruit….
Then comes the “I didn’t know” or
the blame game - when we say,
“She made me do it.” Sin is never
original. It’s been around since
the beginning of time. It’s usually
laziness or blindness or hardness
of heart. It’s when we want God
and angels - and powers outside
of ourselves -  to do all the work.
Sorry…. It doesn’t work that way.
We’re given 40 days and 40 nights
or 40 years or 40 Lents to figure
some of this out - but maybe 
this year we'll ______________.


© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017




Saturday, March 4, 2017

March 4, 2017


LOVE  ME

Wow, there are so many ways
we ask others to love us. “Can
I get you something to eat?”
“Do you need some help?”
“Anytime….” “When you get
back, give me a call.” “I’m here
if you feel down or hurting.”
“Wow you did a great job with
the celebration. Everyone
said everything was perfect.”
“Don’t forget. You’re the best.”


© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017


Friday, March 3, 2017


WE’VE  COME 
A LONG WAY, BABY


INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Friday after Ash Wednesday is, “We’ve Come A Long Way, Baby.”

When scientists, geologists, biologists, and naturalists like Charles Darwin [1809-1882] started to talk about evolution - lots of people screamed. They screamed at the thought we could have come from apes and primitive life.

The game - they played is, “Uproar.” It’s one of those Games People Play that one can find in Eric Bern’s classic book, Games People Play.

In time - the theory of evolution is still being worked out. It’s still evolving. It’s still being understood and misunderstood.  

Some say we started with life in the sea.  We started - as we start in the sea of our mother’s womb - from tiny cells in the sea - some billions of years ago.  

They just found evidence in Canada of what they are calling the earliest forms of microorganisms and microfossils - from between 3.8 and 4.3 billion years old.

We’ve come a long way baby.

Since then we’ve extended the theme of evolution into all kinds of different changes and growth and development.

For example the term is used to say each person’s mind can evolve over a lifetime.

We know so much more after 65 than we knew at 25.

Older people watch younger people as they develop - learn - change - figure things out - work things out.

I like to look around at weddings. I watch seniors watching the kids dancing at the wedding! 

Or just watch older folks watching teen agers as they walk through a mall. These older folks - usually older men - who hate shopping - and they are retired and go  with their wives to the mall. They are sitting there in the rest stops - those benches, chairs, seats in the mall along the mall walk ways and they smile as they see kids in all kinds of outfits, rings, gadgets and things.

We evolve.

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY ABOUT THE WAY

When it comes to religion, hopefully we also grow and develop and evolve.

I taught spirituality for 9 years to future Redemptorists.

As we all know the teacher learns the most.

So I found out what spirituality is. 

Most definitions and descriptions of what spirituality is uses the noun, WAY.

Spirituality is a way, a road, a path, a channel, a journey.

In Chinese we have the word “TAO” pronounced as if it’s a D - DAO.  It’s the way I do life.

And hopefully we evolve and learn as we walk the yellow brick road, the Iliad, the Odyssey, The Road Less Traveled.

And after noticing that spirituality is the road or the way or the path - I found out that systems of spirituality then talk about steps - as in the 12 Steps in AA spirituality. 

Ladders….  You’ll hear about steps and stairs. There are 3 steps, there are 5 steps. there are 7 steps. I have a book I’ve been working on forever. It’s entitled, “The 8th Secret of Happiness.”  I’m evolving. I have about 9 other books in progress - slowly evolving over time. 

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings talk about fasting.

That’s one of the practices, exercises, steps one takes in spirituality - so as to grow and evolve.

Fasting.

We used to think of fasting only when it comes to food and drink. We heard people talk about fast in Lent from candy, chocolates, alcohol. We’ve come a long way baby.

Now we hear about fasting from TV, gossip, couch potatoing it. I gave up solitaire on the computer about 5 years ago for Lent and haven’t done it since. No virtue, but it was a time gainer.

Jesus talks about fasting in today’s gospel - about there is a time for fasting and a time not to fast. [Cf. Matthew 9:14-15.]

You don’t fast at a wedding - even if you’re on a diet. You cheat at weddings. 

I have to fast from sugar for the rest of my life for my health - but my doctor, Doctor Lisa,  tells me to cheat every once and a while. That’s a good medical spiritual practice - otherwise I might stop being sweet. We all know that when folks are at the dessert time at any meal, any wedding, when they are eating cake or pie or ice cream, we are sweeter. We’re more smiling.

And we all know there are times we have to fast: for colonoscopies for starters. I’m a diabetic so I have to fast from stuff heavy in sugar.  Those who are alcoholics or can’t handle their booze, they have to fast.

We all know we got to get up out of our chairs and walk if we want to stay healthy.

So in today’s first reading, from Isaiah, he knows that people who give up drink or chocolate or whatever for Lent can become PITA’s - pains in the tush - as we all know. [Cf. Isaiah 58:1-9a.]

Don't we all remember hearing kids say when we were kids, “I can’t stand Lent because my father gives up cigarettes and beer for Lent and then becomes a raging angry person.”

Isaiah in today’s first reading said this stuff some 2500 years ago at least - the fasting person becomes angry and takes it out on his workers.

Listen to Isaiah again. Have we evolved this far?

Would that today you might fast
so as to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed, 

breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD 

shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, 

and he will say: Here I am!

CONCLUSION

Lent is 40 days.

Hopefully by Easter we have risen to a newer, better way of life.

Hopefully, we’ve evolved a bit more.


It calls for dying to self - and rising to occasions of grace. Amen.
March 3, 2017



CRUCIFIXION

The crucifixion takes place every day….
The stations of the cross take place
in every office, factory, home and church.
Christ falls every time an illegal is pushed
into a gas exhausting van - and is hustled
off to some Calvary. Christ is nailed every
time kids bully and pound some fragile kid.
Christ is condemned to death with every
abortion - and some of us pro life people think
there is only 1 station of the cross. Pilate
wasn’t the only one who tried to wash his
hands when giving in to the crowd….



© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

Thursday, March 2, 2017

March 2, 2017


WHERE DOES IT HURT?


The little kid pointed to his knee
as he lay there on the sidewalk -
his skateboard now with a broken wheel….

The woman pointed to her wedding ring….

The school teacher pointed with her eye to a kid
all by himself looking out the schoolyard  fence….

The whole village in Syria - that has been
totally blown to bits - has decaying bodies
rotting in the alleyways and the kids are crying….

The couple sitting on hard wooden benches -
on hard marble floors - across from each other -
outside the big wooden doors of the divorce
courtroom - are 5,000 miles away from each other….

The sleepless ones in the night ….

The man I'm about to see in 5 minutes

who just lost his wife late yesterday afternoon ....

Where does it hurt?



© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017



Wednesday, March 1, 2017

March 1, 2017



ASHES

The sudden fire that leaves all
in ashes - or the slow crumbling
of us older  folks.... Ash Wednesday:
a cruel reminder that from earth
we started - to earth we’ll  return,
but like Augustine’s prayer for
chastity, not yet, Lord, not yet.
Give me time - more time, Lord.
Then Easter me, Lord, Easter me.

 © Andy Costello, Reflections  2017