NOW IS THE WINTER 

OF OUR DISCONTENT 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is the famous opening line from Shakespeare - from his play King Richard III, “Now is the winter of our discontent….”[1]

The second part of that quote is often left out, “Made glorious summer by this sun of York.”

I’m not sure about this, but I suspect grabbing just the words, “Now is the winter of our discontent” - fulfills a need - to put into words a reality that happens at times: “It’s winter. It’s been miserable at times. And it looks like there’s snow and more messy to come.”

At least that’s what the evening news we were watching last night reported. We don’t wish problems on others - but to be honest - I hope these 3 storms heading east  - head way north of  us.

Being stuck in traffic, in airports, in snow, in cold, or the cost of all this can lead to money problems, or there are family problems - that’s the stuff that can freeze us in a winter of discontent.

Last night these were the thoughts I had while going upstairs to write my homily after watching the evening news on TV. The snow in Chicago, then the weather maps showing  big bands of snow and cold heading east - followed by worse news coming  out of Syria. Children are starving - and over 100,000 people have died in this war going on now for 3 years.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

We’ve been going through some horrible stories about David in these readings from 2nd Samuel lately. Combining those readings with the stuff that happens in today’s Middle East tells me: so what else is new?

Discontent - wars, rumors of wars, it’s the history of our world.

Then today’s first reading continues with the story of Absalom - and today the dramatic description of his death. [Cf. 2 Samuel 18: 9-10, 14-b, 24-25a, 30-19:3]

So you think you have family problems? The scriptures hide nothing when it comes to David’s family problems. Absalom - his name - means: “Source of Peace” is creating big time problems - none of which is peaceful. Of all David’s 17 sons by various women, Absalom caused him the most agita - the most pain.

David - from what we read in these stories - was a disaster as a father. Absalom was a disaster as a son. He killed his older half brother Amnon because Amnon had raped his sister Tamar. The consequences of that killing lasted at least 5 years. Absalom was on the run - but became bolder and bolder - taunting and name calling all kinds of things about  his father - that David  was losing it. He got a coalition together and drove his dad out of Jerusalem barefoot  and empty handed. He took David’s harem - an ultimate insult. Vanity consumed Absalom - especially glorying in his great hair. Then today we hear in this reading  - how fleeing from a group of David’s soldiers - his hair got caught in some branches. Great story telling…. And Joab - one of David’s generals - immediately takes 3 pikes and stabs Absalom in the heart and kills him. [2]

Figuratively this drives one more sharp pike of pain into David’s heart - wishing that his army would have spared his son - in spite of all that they had don to protect. It took a lot of persuasive powers for Joab to convince David that he was worried more about Absalom than those who had stayed loyal to him.

CONCLUSION

Yes life at times can be a long winter - a long season of discontent.

The second part of that line from Shakespeare says: “Made glorious summer by this sun of York.” 

What to do? 

Be patient! Spring and summer will come.

In the meanwhile we can go to Jesus - the Son of Man, the Son of God, and do just what the 2 people in today’s gospel did. Like Jairus we can beg for help, like  the woman with the woman's problems, we can reach out simply to touch the edge of Jesus. 

In other words, let  Jesus  come completely into our  hearts and homes - into the winter of our discontent. Amen.

OOOOOOOOOO

NOTES:

[1] Richard III begins with Gloucester - as in Duke of Gloucester - saying "Now is the winter of our discontent...."  The Winter of our Discontent is also the name of the last  novel by John Steinbeck [1961]  I don't have time, but someone could write about the issue of discontent in this novel - Ethan Allen Hawley with his son Allen - who can be a liar and a cheat - along with Richard III - as well as David and Absalom.

[2] Hubert J. Richards, ABC of the Bible, “Absalom,” page  3. published by Geoffrey Chapman, London, Dublin, Melbourne, 1967, for the National Catechetical Centre, London; John L. McKenzie, Dictionary of the Bible, “Absalom,” page 6, MacMillan Publishing Company, New York.