September  3, 2019 

Thought for today: 

"Once I realized that Christianity is not a creed and that faith is more a matter of embodiment than of axioms, things changed." 

The Future of Faith 

by Harvey Cox

FIRST  CHILD

The first child gets to say 

for the rest of her life, 

“Well, I was the first child.” 

She might be the only or 

she might be the first of 

four or more - or “No more!” 

That first child has advantages 

and disadvantages - but only

time will explain this and that.

Time will tell parents about

nature versus nurture - about

God and mystery and history.

Time will tell how all this fits into

the story of our lives - in giving,

in receiving and a lot, lot more.

Time will tell that every child is a gift,

first, last, middle or only - and each of

us gets to name and describe that gift.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

September  2, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Work is a powerful medicine.” 

St. John Chrysostom

[c. 347-407] 

in a Homily.

37  SECOND  HOMILY

The following is a  37  second homily for this 22 Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C.

When I read today’s gospel - Luke 14: 1, 7-14 - I often feel guilty. It tells the parable of not taking the top seats at the dinner table - as well as inviting the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind to one’s dinner table. I can do the table placements, but I don’t do the inviting of the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind, into dinner in my house.

Then it hit me, “Dummy. You’re it. You’re blind - lame - poor - crippled and Jesus has  invited you to his dinner table.

Enjoy the meal.  Enjoy his love of you. Oh.

Painting on top: Christ 

at the House of Simon

the Pharisee, by Pierre 

Subleyras, c.  1737    

READING,  WRITING AND ARITHMETIC

Everyone around the world ought to be taught a bit of reading, writing and arithmetic.  How were you taught? How were your thinkers. 

I found this teacher on line.

I want to use my blog to tag and study these two talks and lessons.

THE  NEXT  STEP 

A twig snapped - as I walked

the forest floor - telling me

how fragile my future might

be. You never know what’s

next - what might be about

to happen with my second

step or the one just after that.

If we lived our life worried

about our next step - then

we might not take that step.

We might stutter and stammer

our speech and our steps and

never get out of sight - of our

front steps or of our front door.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

September  1, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Inflation is like sin; every government  denounces it and every government practices it.” 

Sir Frederick Leith-Ross, 

Observer,  June 30, 1957