HAGAR AND THE HORRIBLE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Hagar and the Horrible.”

As you know there is a comic strip in lots of U.S. newspapers called, “Hagar the Horrible.”

It’s my favorite comic strip. In fact it’s the only one I look at.

Hagar in that story is a Viking and there are lots of funny stories in that comic series – usually Hagar being outfoxed by his wife.

She’s the smart – prudent – practical – realistic one; he’s the fool – the butt of jokes and dumb moves and unawareness.

THE BOOK OF GENESIS

In the book of Genesis we have the horrible story about Hagar and Sarah.

Abraham has Sarah as his wife – but she’s producing no children, no son. Abraham does have a son by her slave, Hagar, the Egyptian.

And Sarah, seeing how much her husband, Abraham, loves his son Ishmael, becomes jealous and wants both Hagar and her son eliminated – put out into the dry desert to die.

Abraham concedes to Sarah – and Hagar and her son Ishmael are – excommunicated – sent out of camp to die in the desert.

And we know from Genesis that Ishmael and Hagar are saved by an angel and live – and continue as part of the story of Abraham and Israel.

ARTISTS

Artists, painters, but especially sculptors, found the desert scene of the dying woman and her son – a powerful subject for a sculpture.

It’s can tell in stone or wood the life story – of a woman – a single woman – struggling to raise a son – or daughter.  It’s a pieta of a mother and a child.

It’s the story of millions of women – and men – around the world – struggling without food, water, place – enslaved by others – caught with Ebola – and war – etc.

We see live sculptures of this scene many times on the evening news.

ISLAM

Islam doesn’t mention Hagar in the Koran – but Ishmael and Ibrahim are part of their history.

One of their ancient legends or stories is that of Ishmael and Ibrahim as the builders of the famous cube building – the Kaaba - in Mecca. That’s one of the central shrines in Muslim religion.

ST. PAUL

St. Paul uses the story of Hagar and Sarah in  the first reading for today from Galatians 4: 22-24, 256-27, 31 – 5:1. The message is one of Paul’s constants: we have a chance to be a slave or free.

We can follow the law or we can discover freedom in Christ.

CONCLUSION

Looking at our life – our choices – our time schedule – do feel a sense of joy that we do what we do freely – out of love for each other – or do we feel that our life is all obligation.

I like weekday Mass – because we’re all here out of freedom.

This afternoon, however, we priests are heading to New Jersey – for 3 days of meetings. I don’t know about the other guys, but I’m going out of obligation. Smile.