November 8, 2018
Thought for today:
“It is hard to think at the top.”
Stringfellow Barr [1897-1982]
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
WISDOM OR FOLLY?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Wisdom or Folly”?
Being wise or being foolish?
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Last night I was checking out William Barclay’s
Commentary on Luke 14: 25-33. That’s today’s gospel. I often find his comments helpful
- very readable - and grabbing.
In this gospel text
Jesus talks about someone building a tower and not being able to finish
it. The result is people laugh at the
builder. That triggered for Barclay mention of a tower in Scotland - where this actually
happened.
He tells the story about a guy named M’Caig who built a
structure in a place called Oban. It
became known as M’Caig’s Folly.
I never heard about it - so I looked it up on the Google search engine. There, I found, some
interesting comments and some good pictures of the “Tower”.
There above the city of Oban in Scotland is this gigantic
round - about 3 stories high - structure that looks like the coliseum in Rome.
It has no roof and its walls are too weak to be anything
but a big round wall of stones - with openings as if for windows. It may be as
big as a baseball infield.
This rich guy, John M’Caig, built it - with his own plans. It was his way
of giving his workers - stone mason work in the winter. He finished the façade
- the walls - in about 5 years - just in time for his death. It doesn’t look
like a tower. Perhaps he was going to put a tower in the center. It’s called, “M’Caig’s
Tower” - but it became known as “M’Caig’s
Folly”.
It never served as anything but a big round wall with
niches. Some think he was going to have statues of himself and his family
placed in the open spaces.
It has a great view of the harbor that leads out to the
Atlantic.
In time, it turned out to become a unique tourist
attraction - for those who would find such a building interesting. It certainly
is an unexpected sight.
I checked out what tourists wrote after experiencing the
sight/site.
One tourist said if you have 10 minutes - go for it.
Someone else said that it’s worth seeing if you want to
take a nice walk up a hill - see a great view - and besides that they have a neat chocolate
factory nearby.
A POSSIBLE MESSAGE FROM TODAY’S READINGS
Today’s readings raises the question: “How do I do life?”
Both readings ask us to be smart and have a clear plan
for building our life.
In today’s gospel Jesus is saying to plan ahead - and be
careful of family - as well as what might get in the way. If you want to follow me in the plan of your
life or the plan for your life, put first things first. Carry your cross. Don’t
let family or anything else get in the way.
If you’re going to build a tower, be smart and plan
ahead. Nobody wants to be called foolish. Nobody wants to have a folly named
after them.
Last night in thinking about this I also looked in my
many quote books some quote about all this.
Neat, I found the following words from Ralph Waldo Emerson that go like this:
“One man’s justice is another’s injustice; one man’s beauty another’s ugliness; one
man’s wisdom another’s folly.”
I assume that Jesus wants each of us to be wise and to look ahead and plan ahead -
and choose wisely with our individual talents - what we want to do with our
lives.
Today’s first reading says we don’t want to spend our
lives with a blurred vision - to live with fear and trembling - and to spend
our times grumbling or questioning.
CONCLUSION
So that’s my homily - entitled, “Wisdom or Follow.”
Our move.
November 7, 2018
A child’s - crayon drawing -
BLOWING IN THE WIND
skate boarded by me -
on a windy November
afternoon. I turned and
ran after it. I had to step
on it to stop it. Sorry kid!
Not having kids - not
having these precious
treasures - with a magnet -
I put it on my refrigerator door.
I can't wait till I make up
a dozen stories where
it comes from - when
someone asks me, “Who gave
you that really neat drawing?
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018
November 7, 2018 -
Thought for today:
“When the good people of Beauvais were building their cathedral, the cathedral of Amiens, was just
completed. It excited the admiration of all France.
"Well, the people of
Beauvais, in their jealousy and determination to beat the people of Amiens, set
to work to build a tower to their own cathedral as high as they possibly could.
They built it so high that it tumbled down. They were never able to finish
their cathedral at all. It stands a
wreck to this day. A tribute to their vain quest for glory.”
Anonymous
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
I GOTTA’S
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “I Gotta’s.”
An “I gotta” [SPELL
IT OUT “I GOTTA”]
is one of those inner self-complaints or self-hopes or self-calls to get something done or
accomplished - to take care of unfinished business - to resolve a resolution.
“I gotta clean out the trunk of my car.” “I gotta finish that book that is still
sitting there and I paid $29.95 in Barnes and Noble for it .” “I gotta call my
buddy Charlie. Haven’t talked to him in a year.” “I gotta pray more.”
A guy recently told me that he realized he had a lot of unfinished business
in his life. And thinking about his multi-inner- naggings, he said he chose one
that he has been able to do.
He writes one specific letter - one a week - to someone who had been part of his life.
That’s 52 a year. It’s handwritten. It’s a few pages. And he’s been doing it
for a few years now. And receivers say,
“Wow. Thank you.”
If someone did something like that as a result of this
sermon, wow, that would be nice. But don’t tell me about doing one of your “I
gottas” as a result of this homily till you do one of your “I gottas” for at least 2 years. Then send me a letter
about what you did and make my day.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Today’s gospel could be entitled, “Excuses! Excuses!”
As you know, Jesus was not
inviting folks into a church. He’s inviting people into an attitude - into a
state of the mind and heart - called, “The Kingdom.”
The
Church is not the end - but a means to do and practice and live the Spirit of
the Kingdom - Jesus’ dream and hope on how we live life for each other each
day.
As you know very well, the church forgets this all the
time - and the result is we get ourselves mixed up - thinking of self - being
self-centered rather than being other
centered - our purpose for being in our world.
TODAY’S FIRST READING
Today’s first reading is one of those “Have to know
texts” from the Bible.
You don’t have to read the whole Bible - but key Bible
words ought to becoming us.
So for starters, it helps to know key texts - knowing,
learning, chewing upon, digesting, praying, making them part of our being.
One every week is too much. Maybe 2 or 3 a year is more
like it.
I learned this by accident from a Jesuit - Frank Miles
- whom I went to for Spiritual Direction
for a few years. He said after a long life as a priest he owned about 75 texts.
About 75 texts is me.
It’s been my experience that most Catholics - and most
Christians - have about 5 texts they
own. Just ask folks, “What’s your favorite Bible text?” and most will give you
one or two.”
If a person has to run to a Bible to tell you, their
text, that’s a nope. They have to know
it up front and out front. However, they can look up chapter and verse
afterwards. Besides that chapter and verse were
not put into the bible till after the year 1000.
So tell me five texts you own.
I would say I own Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another’s
burdens and in this way you’ll fulfill the Law of Christ.”
I would say, “Luke 15!”
Those 3 stories in there. They are mine.
I would say, “Matthew 25: 31- 46” nags me all the time. I
was hungry … thirsty …. needing clothing - sick - in prison and you did or did
not help me. That determines whether we’re
in heaven or hell right now.
I have done lots of funerals so the last section the of
the 23 Psalm is mine: “Only goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days
of my life.” That’s why that text is read at almost every funeral because isn’t
that a goal in life.
I own a bunch more, but for my 5th text that I
own, let me throw in today’s first reading. It’s called the Kenotic Text or the
Emptying Text: The secret of life is to
do what Jesus did. Empty yourself of self - so others will be filled with
Christ.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “I Gottas”.
So today do at least one of your “I gottas.”
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