DEMONS  AT  THE DOOR

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Demons at the Door.”

That’s an English translation of an image in today’s first reading from Genesis 4: 8.

The New American Bible – the translation we use at Mass – uses the English Words, “Demons at the door.”

TWO MOMENTS: BAPTISM AND SIN

Let me mention two moments that help me with the phrase, “Demons at the door.”

The first moment happens when I’m baptizing a little baby. The tiny  baby boy or girl is being blessed at baptism. He or she is celebrated, welcomed into the church – becoming part of the body of Christ.

I compare the moment of baptism with a scene in the TV movie, “Roots.” The new born baby, Kunta Kinta, is brought out into the jungle in the night and is lifted up to the sky. It's a moment of thanksgiving. 

I get that - that new born babies are celebrated, honored, lifted up to God in thanksgiving.  I love moments at Baptism when a little baby is held and up and photographed in the arms of various people. Welcome kid to the human race, to the Church, to life. It’s like lifting up the newborn bread and wine – the body and blood of Christ - at every Mass.

I like those moments at Mass, at Baptism, in everyday life – when a grandmother or great grandmother or great grandfather – hold and lift up a baby.

That’s the first moment. I get it. I celebrate it.

The second moment is the tricky one. It's the reality of not only goodness and celebration of life - but it's also a moment we hear about sin. 

So at every baptism I feel and hear about sin - original sin and evil, and I don't like that feeling.  

When the deacon or priest doing the baptism talks about sin and original sin – in relationship to this new born baby, I feel ugh. This little 10 to 20 pound tot – is all innocence – and we’re talking about original sin in the baby's presence.

That always feels a bit off key for me.

I’ll have the same thought and  feeling this Wednesday – Ash Wednesday – when a mom or dad will come up the aisle here at church for ashes  - and they are holding a little baby and they present their baby for ashes. The deacon, Eucharistic minister or priest says one of two prayers as they put ashes on the little baby’s forehead.

“Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

Or

“Remember you are dust and into dust you shall return.”

Either formula or statement feels funny to me in the presence of a little baby.

The kid was just born and we’re talking about repentance or we’re talking about death and dust.

That’s the first moment – from the experience of Baptism and also Ash Wednesday – and babies.

SECOND MOMENT: YETZER HARA

So I have trouble with picturing  little kids sinning, making mistakes, etc.

Then I got an insight about  this second moment about sin.

It happened to me when I was reading Bill Moyers’s book about the Cain and Abel story in Genesis 4. That's where I read for the first time about a Hebrew phrase, “YETZER HARA”.  It’s translated “Demons at the Door” or “The Evil Inclination."

This I got.

We all have inclinations in us - for good and for evil.

We see these inclinations in kids - and they are much more visible than us older folks.

Somewhere along the line little kids steal the cookie, pinch their new born baby sister – who is getting all the applause, attention, holdings. I remember going to see my new born grand niece.  Her mom brought in Olivia and placed her right in front in one of those little child carry ons - that work perfectly for car rides with kids. 

Just as I'm about to make funny sounds and signals to Olivia right in front of me, Benjamin - the first born - walks over and sits right on top of Olivia - facing me and blocking her from my sight. Kids can do these things. 

Haven't we all been there for a Christmas morning present openings. Parents stand there with camera in hand - to photograph the scene. 

Let the unwrapping begin.

Uh oh, with one eye on what they got, the other eye is on what their siblings got. 

Suddenly, sometimes, a kid drops his present and heads for his little brother's gift and wrestles it away from his sibling. Screams erupt. Cameras are put down. Parents try to separate kids. 

The door to their demons has been opened. Their evil inclinations have arrived. 

From reading about YETZER HARA – I learned about the reality of the evil inclinations we all have.

Down through life we call them temptations, evil.

They are in everyone.  That reality that I can sin – gets me in touch with what original sin means. It’s right there in that phrase – and a lot me.

FULGHUM STORY

One of my favorite religious humanism writers is Robert Fulghum. I get his stories and I get his books.

On my thoughts for today – I always remember the story of the young father who is with his little tiny son – going through a supermarket. A loud crash happens. 

The box-boy who takes care of disasters is running towards the smash and the crash of a shopping cart. He has with him mop and broom.

A little boy is sitting in the mess on a bag of ripe tomatoes - on top of what was part of the pickle shelf.

The boy has tears, saliva, cuts, blood and a running nose happening on his face. "The kid has also wet his pants and will probably throw up before this little tragedy reaches bottom."

The boy's father has been here before. His inclination to want to disappear has arrived. He wants to run - run - run. He wants to disappear for life.

That what the YETZER HARA is.

There’s Jesus in the gospels – leaving the crowds. Jesus didn’t have original sin – but here in today’s gospel – it seems he gets frustrated with the crowd who want signs – and he gets into a boat – and heads for the other shore.

In yesterday’s gospel he told the man he healed of leprosy, to not tell anyone but the priest at the temple.

Did Jesus do that because he didn't want to be overcrowded? Did Jesus do that because he didn't want to be overwhelmed. Did Jesus want to run at times?

We Christians believe that Jesus didn't sin, but he was human in all things as sin as 

This stuff I get – and we all got the YETZER HARA.

PAUL TALKS ABOUT THIS IN ROMANS

Augustine seems to have been caught by Paul’s description of all this in his letter to the Romans. I tell myself, I won’t let this happen again. I gossip. I overeat. I get drunk. I’m lazy. I hide. Nope, I say to myself. That’s the last time I’ll do that and I go out the door and walk right back into my problems.

Cain let his jealousy and anger take over and he invites the demons at his door, to enter into his mind and heart and behavior and kills his brother Abel.

CONCLUSION

This is the stuff of Lent.

This is the stuff of struggle.

This is the stuff of being able to laugh at ourselves.

This is the stuff of humility.

This is the stuff Jesus came to help us with.

Come Lord Jesus – don’t run away from me.