Saturday, September 23, 2017





FROM A FUNERAL PROGRAM

I spotted this on a program left in a bench from the funeral Mass here this morning for Edwin Wintermuth, IV at St. Mary's Annapolis, Maryland  His dates were October 8, 1933 till September 3, 2017. 



FROM LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA
BY GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ


If I knew today 
would be the last time I’d see you,
I would hug you tight and
pray the Lord be the keeper of your soul.
If I knew that this would be the last time 
you’d pass through this door;
I’d embrace you, kiss you 
and call you back for one more.
If I knew that this would be the last time 
I’d see you,
I’d tell you I love you and
would not just assume foolishly 
you know it already.
September 23, 2017





REFLECTIONS

Some views are better than other views,
so too reflections from where I live ....
Across the waters.... It doesn't get any better....
Sail boats waiting for the weekend.
A church steeple in my sky.
A light in my window. 
A bridge that leads me home
and water, water everywhere....
Amen.








Friday, September 22, 2017

September 22, 2017


SEASONS - DÉJÀ VU 

Winter: déjà vu, the snow
falls, the ground freezes,
the earth becomes sullen,
silent nights, slippery roads,
the inner longing for spring.

Spring: déjà vu,  the leaves
bud, becoming leaves,
becoming background, birds
find their way back to our
backyards, summer's coming.

Summer: déjà vu, watermelons
make their appearance along
with vacation, along with lawn
mowers, softball and Frisbee,
looking forward to cool of fall.

Autumn: déjà vu, leaves change,
leaves fall, the rustle of leaves,
giving hints of more changes
to come - Thanksgiving - frost -
decay - death at the edges of life.


 © Andy Costello, Reflections  2017



Thursday, September 21, 2017

Dear Brothers,

We are thankful to know that our confreres on Dominica and St. Croix are safe and sound after Hurricane Maria devastated those islands.  Now begins the hard task for our confreres in the Caribbean to not only rebuild our own rectories and places of worship but to work side by side with those trying to rebuild their homes and lives.   The ministry of our Caribbean brothers will indeed be long and tiring over the months to come.

I know donor fatigue may have already hit many of us with the recent Hurricanes Harvey & Irma as well as the earthquake in Mexico.  Hurricane Maria this week devastated Dominica, a beautiful island that I have been on in order to give several Redemptorist missions over the years and to attend various meetings there. 

Many of us have either ministered on Dominica or visited there in the past.  It is home to a number of Redemptortists who staff several parishes there as well as the retreat house in Eggleston.  Numerous Redemptorists come from the island and still have families living there. 

While the Redemptorists and the families of our Redemptorist confreres are safe there is much rebuilding that needs to be done.

Peter Hill asked me if we could set up a "go fund me" donation page and with Mary Weaver's help such a page now exists.  Those of us who are on social media (like FaceBook and Twitter) I ask that you share this site.  If you are not on social media, please email those you can with the link.  If you are a pastor, I ask that you get this link out to those in your parish via your parish bulletin or on your parish web site.

This is just the beginning of a long road to recovery and rebuilding for the people of Dominica and our confreres who minister on the island.  As a Province, we will have to continue to look at ways we can help the Redemptorists and the people of Dominica.  This is one immediate way we can help. 

Here is the "gofundme" page for Dominica:

From that link, there are buttons people can use to share on Facebook and Twitter.

When you share the link, it’s ideal if you can add a message to the post—something like this:

"Please help the #Redemptorists help the people of Dominica, whose homeland has been so devastated by #HurricaneMaria.  Your gift will allow us to bring emergency aid and to help people rebuild their lives.  Thank you for your goodness!"  (And of course, if a you are from or have ministered in Dominica or the Caribbean region, a personal note  to that effect would be great.)

Thank you for reading this email and helping any way you can.  May our Mother of Perpetual Help continue to watch over the beautiful people of Dominica.

In the Redeemer,
Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R.
_____________________________________
Provincial Superior
Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province
Office: 718-833-1668
Cell: 917-923-4841

"With Him is plentiful redemption." (Psalm 130: 7)




September 21, 2017

DISHWASHER

The dishes go in, come out,
are put away in the cabinet,
come off the shelf again, used to
serve us food over and over again.

Glasses and cups  too - same story -
serving us day after day, year after
year: table, sink, dishwasher and
then out again over and over again.

Each of us - enjoying meal after meal - 
at the family table - saying grace for 
our food - then washing dishes - well aware
that life is all about serving one another.


© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017





Wednesday, September 20, 2017

September 20, 2017


WORDS

“I love you!”

Think about how those 3 words
can mean so different - depending
on the moment: wedding day,
50th anniversary, or after a death
or a divorce or what have you.


© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017


Tuesday, September 19, 2017


EXPECTATIONS:
DON’T  FORGET  THE  ADJECTIVES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 24 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Expectations: Don’t Forget the Adjectives.”

Today’s first reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to Timothy has a whole list of expectations for bishops, deacons, and women. Check out 1 Timothy 3:1-13.

Presbyters aren’t mentioned.  Moreover, we’re dealing here with the Early Church as they are slowly getting organized. In the gospels we hear about Jesus' followers being called disciples and apostles - then other titles and positions evolved.

EXPECTATIONS FOR BISHOPS

Bishops are to be trustworthy, irreproachable, married only once, temperate, self-controlled, decent, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not aggressive, gentle, not contentious, not a lover of money. They need to be able to manage their own household and keep their kids under control. They are not to be a recent convert, nor conceited, but to have a good reputation among outsiders.

What qualifications would you have on your list?

Everyone has expectations about others.

Want to know what yours are for waitresses, other drivers, ushers, priests, spouses? Answer: simply jot down what you get angry about?

EXPECTATIONS FOR DEACONS

Dignified, not deceitful, not addicted to drink, not greedy, holds the faith, has a clear conscience. They are to only to be married once - as well as manage their own homes well.

EXPECTATIONS FOR WOMEN

Dignified, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in everything.

ADJECTIVES

When I used to run workshops for church leaders, parishes, organizations, we taught people to use adjectives.

For example some adjectives would be: realistic, unrealistic, stated, unstated, possible, impossible.

Name a role like leader or teacher or priest and then jot down expectations for them. For example: pastor. Next add your expectations you have of them.  Like: never mentions money. Is available 24/7/365.  Then put an adjective like unrealistic  or possible in front of that expectation. For example, looking at today’s gospel, “can raise the dead”. Write in front of that expectation: “impossible”.

We have two new priests here. When people hear that, immediately, expectations kick in. It’s the same when we get a new pastor, bishop, deacon, or who have you. It’s the same when your son or daughter wants you to meet someone they are interested in. 

Expectations are expected.

So put down expectations for each role or position and then put an adjective in front of that expectation.

In a really small organization  - or team - or council -  that has worked together a lot - you could even put down each member’s name and put expectations in front of each name - and then adjectives in front of each expectation. Warning: trust and understanding better be at a high level for such a process. 

OTHER FACTORS

Any of you who have taken the Myers-Briggs personality test know that if a person is highly organized, very neat, always on time, perfectly dressed, they are less apt to be imaginative or creative.  I can say that from experience, because I am a slob - and the adjective I’d put in front of slob would be, “typical”.

Everyone who makes someone bishop or pastor, knows two things: not everyone has all the gifts and secondly, you have to deal with the players on the team that you have.  The pool is only so deep and so wide and these are the only people in or around the pool.

Too many people play fantasy parish, priest, spouse, neighbor, church ….

Everyone wants superstars. Sorry there are not that many around.

Next there are scales: on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, how is this candidate when it comes to running a parish or a meeting or teaching or preaching - or being social, listening, etc. etc. etc.?

Next comes my question: can people change? Can people learn? Can we come up with new ways of running the ship? Can we really tell another that they don’t have it and they need to improve - but can anyone change over 70, 60, 50, 40, 30?  Each of us has to ask: have I ever changed? Have I been basic me all my life?

If I have changed, mellowed, grown, how did that happen? What triggered it, etc., etc., etc.

Years ago I remember being in a parish near Rochester NY, where I noticed the pastor hired this wonderful guy who could do books, plow snow, solve maintenance problems, etc. etc. etc. This left the pastor to do personal stuff - like visiting the sick and the homebound - and work on his homilies.

LOOKING AHEAD

For the 8 ½ years before coming to Annapolis, I was in a different parish every week for about 20 to 25 weeks of the year. I saw a lot - and it gives me I think some experience in some of these expectation issues.  

My number one adjective - for many expectations - sorry to say - is “Unrealistic.”

And I think of myself as an optimist.

Pope Francis is calling on the church to have bishops who smell like sheep, get down there in the sweat and dirt of daily life - to be compassionate more than bosses. Those who want a church to slam and shame sinners, you’d get a disagreeable adjective from me.  Sorry ….

CONCLUSION

I’m a Luke 15 Catholic.

How’s that for a button or bumper sticker?

I’m a Luke 15 Catholic.