VANITY OF VANITIES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]  is the first 3 words of today’s first reading from the Wisdom Book Eccclesiastes, “Vanity of Vanities.”

Here are the first 10 words from the author, Qoheleth, his opening words for today’s first reading,  “Vanity of vanities… vanity of vanities, all things are vanity!”

Then this author, called Qoheleth asks us, “What are we after? What are we laboring for?  What do we use our wisdom and education for?”

So it’s obvious -  for starters, the readings for today want us to think about vanity - that we’re not doing what we’re doing for show or in vain.

Today’s second reading from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians says exactly this: “Seek what is above!”  He adds, “Seek the hidden in Christ.”

This message becomes even more obvious when we hear the parable from today’s gospel. It’s the story of the man who has a great harvest - is planning on building bigger and bigger barns - but the pool guy doesn’t know - he’s going to die tonight. [Luke 12:13-21]

BUMMER

We know what the word “vanity” means.

It’s being shallow, empty, superficial. We’re an empty suit. It’s a slick suit or dazzling dress - but the real me is not showing up - so we’re showing off -  wearing a disguise called, “Vanity.”

Is that a fair description of vanity? A lady in the parking lot after the 10:30 Mass said she had a different take on it. So talk to each other on your takes on what vanity is.

I did a little research on use of the word “vanity”. We use it when talking about a purse for cosmetics - a so called “vanity purse.”  There is also the so called, “vanity.” It’s a piece of furniture - a tiny table with not too deep drawers  - usually with some spilled over white powder in them - a table with a mirror to help with the make-up. We’ve heard about special license plates - with the words, “Hot Shot” - or “Go Mets” on them. They are called vanity plates. Then there is self-publishing a book which we get published by a so called,  “Vanity Press”.

TWO POEMS

Here are two poems that I wrote. The first is from years ago. It’s based on today’s gospel. It’s called, “Death In The Dark.”  It’s from a book of night prayers I wrote - but couldn’t get a publisher.

DEATH IN THE DARK

(Luke 12:16-21)

I can’t pray tonight.

My mind, my fields,

my hands, are all too full.

Dark birds shriek

a death warning across

my cornfield skies

and all I can think of

is building barns:

bigger and bigger barns.

The second poem is entitled, “Balloon Drop.” I wrote this yesterday for my blog. Talk about vanity.

BALLOON  DROP

The conventions were over

in both Cleveland and Philadelphia….

The balloons filled with air 
came floating down….

The halls were emptying out.

While watching this on TV

I spotted a cleaning woman

with a broom like handle

with some kind of a metal nail

or needle at its point -

sticking it to the balloons -

bursting them - letting the hot air out.

I couldn’t  see her face. Was

she laughing at the metaphor

or was she inwardly complaining about

how little she was getting paid

to sweep all this stuff up - the now

deflated balloons, the signs,

the cleaning up and getting ready

for the next…. Off to the side
the TV people were still interviewing 
the folks with the names. 
Nobody noticed her.

TWO NOVELS

I want to quote from two novels - both of which I never finished.

I want to add that - because I don’t want to be vain - or try to impress you - with what I have read. After all this is a homily on vanity.

The first novel is the 1987 novel Bonfire of Vanities by Tom Wolfe.

Savonarola

Tom Wolfe got his title from today’s first reading as well as from the Dominican priest Girolamo Savonarola’s reformation and burning of stuff in big public bonfires in Florence, Italy back in 1497. He condemned vanity. Take it off. Dump it. Burn it. He called for reform in church, clerics, pope, and city. Then he himself ended up being excommunicated, condemned, tortured, hung and burnt to death.

Tom Wolfe’s novel features New York City  in the 1980’s - Wall Street, filled with greed, corruption, racism, demonstrations, riots, what have you.

A quote from the novel about Sherman McCoy, the main character of the novel, “Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could, out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called 'Being a Father' so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life.”

Is that true? Does that fit? I know I don’t want to forget the child in me - yet I guess the adult me better show up from time to time.

Or this quote, “Yes see, Sherman, who started with so much, lost everything. But he gained his soul. Whereas I, you see, who started with so little, gained everything. ‘What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses...’ Ah well. There are compensations.”

The second novel is Madam Bovary - by Gustave Flaubert - a classic novel that also gets into the issue of vanity big time in France in the 1800’s.

Two quotes:

“There was an air of indifference about them [the male guests], a calm produced by the gratification of every passion … that special brutality which comes from the habit of breaking down half-hearted resistances that keep one fit and tickle one’s vanity - the handling of blooded horses, the pursuit of loose women.” Madam Bovary [1857], pt. 1, chapter 8, Gustave Flaubert [1821- 1880]

“It never occurred to her that if the drainpipes of a house are clogged, the rain collect in pools on the roof; and she suspected no danger until suddenly she discovered a crack in the wall.” Madam Bovary [1857], ib. II, 5, Gustave Flaubert [1821- 1880]

Cracks in the wall - wrinkles - leaks - sin -  cancer - sickness - problems with our family and our marriages - all assault our vanity - and get us in touch with the deeper things - sometimes - sometimes slowly - sometimes never - hopefully God from time to time.

So too a sudden death - of someone our own age - or someone like the man in today’s gospel.

CONCLUSION

I think that’s enough.

Vanity of vanities - quoting Tom Wolfe and Gustave Flaubert - that should be impressive -  but humbling because I don’t do well pronouncing French names.

The title of my homily is, “Vanity of Vanities.”

It’s a theme we would do well to think and pray about.

There’s a 1972 song by Carly Simon called, “You’re So Vain.” 

It has the line, “You probably think this song is about you, you’re so vain. You’re so vain.” Don’t you? Don’t you.

A bad homily is when people say to the preacher, “I wish my mother-in-law or my brother was here to hear your sermon today.

A good sermon is when someone doesn’t say anything - but they realize the sermon is about them.

Hopefully we all thought this homily is about us. It is.