THERE  IS  UGLY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Second Monday in Advent is, “There is ugly.”

FIRST THE UGLY DUCKING FAIRY TALE

Hans Christian Andersen [1805-1875] wrote fairy tales - over there in Denmark. The one tale many people remember is the story of the Ugly Duckling - which he dreamed up in 1842. Later on in life he said it was the story of his life.

I spotted this in Wikepedia, “In reviewing Hans Christian Andersen: A New Life by biographer Jens Andersen, British journalist Anne Chisholm writes ‘Andersen himself was a tall, ugly boy with a big nose and big feet, and when he grew up with a beautiful singing voice and a passion for the theater he was cruelly teased and mocked by other children’. The ugly duckling is the child of a swan whose egg accidentally rolled into a duck's nest.”

The little duckking is born and all the other animals in the barn yard called it “Ugly” - so it stayed alone - and tried to stay clear from the bullying in the barnyard.

It escaped and had to deal with winter and aloneness. One day she saw a flock of swans - but she was too small, too young, to fly away with them.

A farmer took the ugly duckling in - but the kids were too noisy and too  rough so the Ugly duckling wandered away again - till she saw a flock of swans.

By now the Ugly Duckling had grown and matured and she’s in a pond and she sees herself in her reflection. She is beautiful.  With that she joins the community of swans.

TODAYS READINGS

In today’s readings we have this story in another translation.

In the first reading it’s the earth - which was a desert - which is ugly. That is till it bloomed - till it flowered - till it blossomed. 

In the first reading it’s the desert that is ugly, till its dry river beds start to flow. Pools are filled with water. The dangerous jackals, and lions disappear. Joy and gladness are heard - sorrow and morning flee.  

In the first reading it’s Israel that is ugly - that is till the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap like a stag, the mute sing.

In the gospel we hear the story of the Ugly Duckling in the story of the paralyzed man. His friends carry him to Jesus. They run into a wall of people around the house Jesus is in. So they go up on a roof - remove the tiles - and lower him down by a stretcher right into the middle of the room. There he is on the floor looking up at Jesus.

Despite some bullies who are after Jesus, Jesus heals this paralyzed man and forgives him his sins - and the man goes home celebrating - his new found legs and freedom.

In the meanwhile bullies still exist.

APPLICATION

Today’s readings can become us.

The Ugly duckling story can become us.

Our world can change. Our surroundings can change.

The Bad and the Ugly can become the Good.

When I was on the Lower East Side as a young priest, I used to walk by an ugly lot. An apartment used to be there - but it fell in and was removed. Next came garbage, toilet bowls, shopping carts, mattresses and tons of junk. The only thing growing there were weeds.

Well, a group of people decided to clean it up. They got permits and permissions. Then they brought in trucks and they removed the junk. They planted grass and trees and flowers. They put in some benches. They put in a neat garden. It was no longer an ugly eye sore.

Well the obvious message is we can do this with our homes, our lives, our neighborhood, our world.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily was, “There Is Ugly.”

I was going to add, “There Is Beautiful Too.”

Then when I was reading about Hans Christian Andersen, I found out that he was going to title his story, “The Young Swans” - but no, he called it, “The Ugly Duckling” - for surprise and for suspense.