December 6,  2018

TWISTS AND TURNS

Everyone has twists and turns

in the  moments of our lives.

Good and bad, ups and downs,

basic blue, basic green, basic life.

The turns in the roads of our life:

some are right, some are wrong.

And sometimes it takes a long time

to know which is which and what is what.

Each sunrise we wake up to new surprises;

each sunset we figure the smart and the dumb.

Life: we have to twist and turn the bottle

cap,  if we want to drink life to the full. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 6, 2018

Thought for today: 

“As one goes  through life, one learns that if you don’t paddle your own canoe, you don’t move.” 

Katherine Hepburn

December 5, 2018

ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 1^st Wednesday in Advent is, “Escape to the Mountains.”

One of the themes we find in the Scriptures is mountains are safe places to hide.

We know this from Westerns - where bad guys hide out - and good guys go for healing.

If you’ve  ever been to Israel, you are aware that there are sections where there are strings of Mountains.

UNITED STATES

I lived in Lima Ohio before coming to Annapolis. Lima was Midwest. Lima flat and soybean farmers had flattening out the land as a goal - so it would be easier with the rain - and with growing - and with reaping and planting.

To get to Lima from the east we had to go through a town called Crestline and it was just that. West of that the land had crested.

Right down the eastern part of the United States we have the Appalachian and right down the west of the United States was the Rockies.

So hopefully we know mountains.

TODAY’S READINGS

We find mountains in both readings for today.

In today’s first reading from Isaiah we have the Lord promising all people a place to feast - where there was good wine and rich food.

In today’s first reading from Isaiah we have the promise of safety. The web that can catch us  - tie us up - will be destroyed.

Tears will be wiped away - because we have discovered safety and security on that mountain.

Today’s gospel is similar. A vast crowd of people show up to find Christ - and they meet him on a mountain - where we feeds everyone

.

Like the first reading, people get more than food. They are healed of blindness and crippling.

And there are leftovers.

Healing message - helpful message - hopeful message.

CONCLUSION

If you ever get a chance to go to high places - take the elevator to the roof. I am so glad I went to the top of the World Trade Center at least 2 times.

If you’re ever outriding or traveling across or down the USA, if you see a sign, Scenic Overview, check it out.

If you have a choice of a window seat or an aisle seat, on a flight, take the window seat.

See the big picture.

It will help your prayer life.

December 5, 2018

MUSIC AND THE DANCE

Everyone has within them 

the music and the dance, 

the fiddle and the click of 

tap shoe on wooden floor. 

Songs haunt our heart. 

Rhythm moves our feet. 

The beat of the drum is in 

our blood, - in our nerves. 

The call to war - to battle …. 

The sounds of love … 

are never that far away 

from anyone of us. 

Patriotism, laughter, memories 

somehow cling to songs, as we 

hear them at weddings, wakes 

and funerals and in the elevator. 

Listen to the sound of music…. 

Some enchanted evening …. What the 

world needs now is love sweet love …. 

even if raindrops keep falling on our head. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 5, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“The days you are  the most uncomfortable are the days you learn the most about yourself.”

DON’T  FORGET  TO  LOOK 

AT THE PICTURES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 1^st Tuesday in Advent is, “Don’t Forget to Look at the Pictures.”

Christianity is a very visual religion. We use stuff - materials - pictures - images to get to the invisible - the spiritual.

Christmas cards are still  - around - less than the past - but they are still around. If you do Christmas cards may your cards with their images and pictures and your written words  bring life and hope to the people in your lives whom you send cards to.

If you use a family photo as your Christmas Greetings may others remember nice memories of the people in the picture that you send.  If you use regular Christmas Cards - may others catch the Baby in the manger - or the Christmas message on your card.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from Isaiah 11: 1-10 has some rich words and themes.

Check your Christmas cards. Some will have just words  - like the words in today’s first reading: understanding, wisdom, counsel, justice, and faithfulness. Pick one word, one theme and pray it back for the sender.

Check your Christmas cards. Someone will send you a painting by Edward Hicks of the Peaceable Kingdom fame. We hear about that in today’s first reading as well: all the animals living in peace.  As you know there are lots of versions of that painting - 62 to be exact.  Study the dream of Edward Hicks - a Quaker - for our world - that the bull in the china shop, the bully in the classroom, the monkey in our midst who won’t get   serious, can all get along with each other: those who bark and bite and those who are catty and those who are the elephants in the room.

Don’t forget to look at the Christmas TV movies. Try to catch Charlie Brown’s Christmas story - as well as, “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart. Listen to and ponder and study the Christmas message in the songs in the background.

TODAY - DECEMBER 4th - IS THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN DAMASCENE

St. John Damascene or St. John of Damascus [c. 675-749]  was the last of the Fathers of the Early Church.

He was attacked and scoffed at for defending the use of images and icons and pictures in telling the Christian message.

There were those in the Christian Church who were against all images - broke some of them. It’s called iconoclasm.  Of course, images are not God - any more than our photographs and selfies are the people in the pictures

Luckily St. John lived in Muslim territory - Muslims who were against images in their religion - but they didn’t bother John - the monk.

CONCLUSION: TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel [Luke 10: 21-24] we are told to be like little children and spot the presence of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - all around us - as well as understanding, wisdom, justice and faithfulness.

December 4, 2018

PRESENCE

I could feel God’s beauty, 

presence, wonder, story, 

as I was putting the Bread 

of the Life, the Eucharist, 

into the tabernacle - and 

I could also feel this MORE 

in the cut flowers standing 

in water up to its knees in a 

clear glass vase next to 

to the bronze tabernacle. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018