FOUR  WOMEN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Four Women.”

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Agatha.

Ten years ago or so I read that the Church celebrates 4 great women in these 4 colder months: Cecilia [November], Lucy [December], Agnes [January] and today Agatha [February].

Cecilia - is the patron saint of music,

Lucy - is the patron saint of eyes and light,

Agnes - is the patron saint of gentleness

Agatha - is the patron saint of breast cancer and earthquakes

They are all Italians - but way before Italy became Italy.

·       Cecilia - Born Rome - dies in Sicily.

·       Lucy - From Syracuse - Southeast Corner of Sicily

·       Agnes - From Rome -

·       Agatha - From Palermo - Sicily

THIS HOMILY

This homily I want to ask the question: “Who are your favorite four women?”

Today’s gospel - Mark 6:14-29 - we have these women: Herod’s daughter and Herodias, who is Herod’s second wife - who was his brother’s Philip’s wife.

Intrigue and slippery sin and nasty manipulations and lust run rampant in Herod’s history.

There is better history - closer to factual - about Herod’s life - than there is about David’s life.

David benefitted from a lot of re-writes. I even heard a Rabbi talk about David not necessarily being the one who killed a giant of a man named Goliath. There is evidence in the scriptures about someone else being the actual killer - but the story is transferred to David.

The Bible is loaded with stories about a lot of people.

So too Christianity.

So too our lives.

FOUR WOMEN

If you were asked to come up with your four favorite women saints or holy people, who would you come up with?

Here’s a possible four: Mother Cabrini, Mother Teresa, St. Theresa of Lisieux, Saint Teresa of Avila.

If you were asked  to list four women who did outstanding things for others, would anyone list these 4? Dorothy Day, Rosa Parks, Barbara Jordan, and how about the British Nurse, Edith Cavell shot by the Germans Oct. 12, 1915.

Wouldn’t it be something if Dorothy Day made it to sainthood - for her tremendous work with the poor?  I heard that when this said in the presence of Cardinal Spellman, he said, “Over my dead body.”

I can’t but think about the impact her canonization would have - her having had an abortion. Wouldn’t that give great hope to countless women and men?

How about 4 women writers, or 4 women painters, or 4 women world leaders, etc. etc. etc.

How about 4 women in our own lives: our moms or grandmas or neighbors or some parish woman. I would certainly add my sister Peggy, who had a great life as an IHM Scranton Nun.

CONCLUSION

That’s your homework. Discuss all this with yourselves and each other.