APPETITE - 

A UNIVERSAL WOLF

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily  for this 3^rd Tuesday of Easter is, “Appetite - A Universal Wolf.”

Isn’t that an interesting image as well as intriguing words: “Appetite - A Universal Wolf”?

They are Shakespeare’s words in one of his not too familiar plays: Troilus and Cressida.  It’s a tragedy and a rather complex one at that. This mythic play takes place in ancient times - over 1000 years before Christ. It’s the 7^th year of the war between the Greeks who have attacked  the city of Troy to rescue Helen who was abducted.  

Ulysses is standing there outside the tent of Agamemnon, the King and Commander-in-Chief of the Greeks. In a speech to the king he states what he sees is going on - not just here in war - but also in life. Commentators point out that Shakespeare in this play uses images and themes that are as modern as the Existential writers of the 20^th century.

Ulysses comments about motivation and the drive and will for power. He talks about desire and fire and appetite: what makes people do what they do. The words, “Appetite, an universal wolf” appears in a speech by Ulysses in the first act, scene 3:

“Then everything includes itself in power,
Power into will, will into appetite;

And appetite, an universal wolf,

So doubly seconded with will and power,

Must make perforce a universal prey,

And last eat up himself.”

Shakespeare is at the heart of tragedy here. People are known to destroy themselves - whether they are lone wolves or travel in packs. They can eat themselves to death - when the will to power takes over. Then it can double itself and destroy oneself even deeper. It can be appetite for food, sex, stuff, power, control,  prestige - to look good - or what have you. 


Jesus challenges us to switch our daily prayer from, "My will be done on earth as it is in heaven." to "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

People who think and sometimes says - because it has become their mind set, “I want what I want when I want it” can end up totally destroying themselves because nobody has all the power. I’m not the only person on this planet. Traffic or children don’t always go my way.

TWO DOGS INSIDE US

I’m sure we have all heard many times the Native American image that we all have  two dogs inside us - the good dog and the bad dog. Then Native American teachers  like to point out that these dogs are fighting at times. And we know if and when asked, “Which dog wins?” the answer is,  “The one we feed.” 

TODAY’S GOSPEL

The last words of today’s gospel triggered these thoughts. Jesus talks about hungering and thirsting. And then he says, “Whoever comes to me, whoever eats me, as the Bread of Life, will never hunger and thirst.”  [Cf. John 6:35.]

Wonderful.

As I read Jesus I read that he’s saying - especially in John - that he can feed us. He can fulfill our deepest hungers and deepest thirsts.

In looking up the words, hunger, thirst, desire and appetite, I discovered in a thesaurus that phrase from Shakespeare, “And appetite, an universal wolf.” I never heard that before.

Is Shakespeare saying that there is a wolf inside of us - the universal wolf - and it is hungry? It wants. It howls for power over anything that gets in its way. We know that. We’ve all felt the power of our desires, our appetites, our addictions, our hungers and our thirsts.

I can picture that wolf inside of me howling at times. 

Then that picture - that image of the wolf -  triggered Jesus’ words about him being the Good Shepherd. Jesus, unlike the Hired Hand, is a Good Shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for me - his lost or dumb sheep at times. [Cf. John 10: 1-21]

Then -  following the Native American image - I found myself jumping to the image of the 2 dogs inside of me. Maybe - instead of those 2 dogs - I have a sheep - a dumb sheep called me inside me - along with a howling wolf called me inside me.

Then I picture and imagine Jesus the Good Shepherd saving me from myself. Praise God. Amen. Amen. Amen.

CONCLUSION

Those are a few images to bring to prayer today. Pause every once and hear the “Woof! Woof!” inside ourselves. Better: pause every once and a while and heart the howl and the “Baa bah bah!” inside of me. Then hear Jesus say, “I am with you all days - even to the end of the world.”

*O*O*O*O*

[Pictures: On top: The Lone Wolf - found on line. Black and White: 1795 engraving by Luigi Schiavonetti, after a 1789 painting by Angelica Kauffman.]