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
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
December 5, 2018
INTRODUCTION
ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS
The title of my homily for this 1st 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
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
DON’T FORGET TO LOOK
AT THE PICTURES
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 1st 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
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