ON  BEING  POOR

Quote for the Day - September 26, 2010


"A north wind has no corn and a poor person no friend."


Spanish Proverb

EVERYTHING  FADES

EVERYTHING!

Quote for the Day - September 25, 2010

"Over the greatest beauty hangs the greatest ruin."

Italian proverb

WOO! WOW!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 25 Saturday in Ordinary Time is, “Woo! Wow!”

That’s what I found myself muttering last night after I read today’s first reading from the book of Ecclesiastes or Qoheleth. [Cf. Ecclesiastes 11:9 to 12:8]

It’s a fascinating reading and I found myself going to the several biblical commentaries that I use for reference. Listen to the introduction to this book from The Anchor Bible, “Ecclesiastes is the strangest book in the Bible, or at any rate the book whose presence in the sacred canons of Judaism and of Christianity is most inexplicable.” (1)

The Collegeville Bible Commentary in its introduction to this book puts it this way: "The Book of Ecclesiastes is the most damnable book in the Bible and yet the most satisfying for those who have learned to live comfortably with doubt. That it is damnable seems clear; it has been denounced many times as cynical and provides great comfort for those who are willing to face life honestly is also a fact." (2)

In other words, “Why is this book in the Bible - a book that says God can’t be known by reason?”

In other words, “Woo! Wow! Why in the world did they put this book in the Bible? And the commentaries give evidence that this question was asked – because it’s so different from all the other books in the Jewish Bible. (3)

The only answer I could come up with is that it answers a need for some people – those who have doubts, those who are reflective, those who are skeptical, and those who are pessimistic.

After all, there are dark days. Sometimes God seems to have disappeared. And things do break down – including our bodies.

TO YOUNG PEOPLE

In today’s reading – from near the end of his book – we notice that he’s talking to young men.

I suggest you read the whole book – or at least today’s first reading – slowly and quietly and off to the side. Picture his images.

He’s telling the young to enjoy your youth – it’s not going to last.

He tells them to notice the sun – it goes down. Notice the rain and the clouds. Things are not always bright sunshine. Notice the old man who is bent over. Notice the mill. There’s not much happening there. The grinders are idle. Look in the windows and see how little is happening inside.The door is shut. The birds are silent. One day you’ll fear heights. People die. Notice the mourners walking in the street. He says that “the caper berry is without effect.” I looked up what that reference to the caper berry – losing it’s effect – meant. Surprise it was the Viagra of the day. (4) He continues. The silver cord that holds up an ornamental light is broken. The water pitcher at the well is shattered. The rope for the pulley at the well breaks and falls into the well. You can hear it going “Caplunk!”

Woo! Wow!

He’s telling the young men of his day that time is ticking. Death will turn us into dust and our life breath will return to God.

Woo! Wow!

Haven’t any of us over 70 had streams of thoughts like this when we’re watching young people playing sports and we’re in the stands or the sidelines? Or we’re at a red light on Main Street or at the bottom of Main Street and we see a dozen young people pass in front of our car – bouncing and laughing?

Woo! Wow!

It’s a universal thought – when old – to notice the young moving in ways we can longer move. Jesus tells his disciples in today’s gospel the day is going to come when I’m going to be handed over to others. However, they don’t pay attention to what he’s saying. I assume they are in the thrill of the moment – young men following and walking with and bouncing with this famous preacher Jesus and they don’t want to look at the future – just be in the immediate.

CONCLUSION

Today’s first reading is geared for young men. Let me close with a poem by John Crowe Ransom [1888-1974] called “Blue Girls” – which could be found in this same book called, “Ecclesiastes” - because it has a similar tone or flavor . It’s one of my favorite poems – especially because I can picture it – and it has a “Woo! Wow!” to it.

BLUE GIRLS

Twirling your blue skirts, traveling the sward (5)
Under the towers of your seminary, (6)
Go listen to your teachers old and contrary
Without believing a word.

Tie the white filets then about your lustrous hair
And think on more of what will come to pass
Than bluebirds that go walking on the grass
And chattering on the air.

Practice your beauty, blue girls before it fail;
And I will cry with loud lips and publish
Beauty which all our power shall never establish,
It is so frail.

For I could tell you a story which is true:

I know a lady with a terrible tongue,
Blear eyes fallen from blue,
All her perfections tarnished – and yet it is not long
Since she was lovelier than any of you.


(1) Proverbs Ecclesiastes, The Anchor Bible, translated with an introduction and notes by R. B. Y. Scott, page 191.

(2) Proverbs Ecclesiastes, The Anchor Bible, translated with an introduction and notes by R. B. Y. Scott, pages 191-208.

(3) The Collegeville Bible Commentary, The Book of Ecclesiastes, p. 64 in # 24, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther – Commentary by James A. Fischer, C.M. Confer also The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, under Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth) by Addison G. Wright, S.S. pp. 489-491

(4) Proverbs Ecclesiastes, The Anchor Bible, translated with an introduction and notes by R. B. Y. Scott, note 5, page. 255.

(5) "sward" - a grassy patch

(6) "seminary" - their school

THE ABUSE

OF 

POWER

Quote for the Day - September 24, 2010


"The love of power is oppressive in every sphere, but in the religious most of all."

Romano Guardini, The Church and the Catholic, 1953

THE KNOWN 

TO THE UNKNOWN

Quote for the Day - September 23, 2010

"Love of men leads to the love of God."


Hindustani Proverb


Found this quote ... then wondered if the original language supports men and women in the translation into English. I would translate it this way: "Love of those around us leads to the love of God who surrounds us." Or do I say, "... to the love of God which surrounds us"?

CEMETERY

Quote for the Day - September 22, 2010


"Take away love and our earth is a tomb."


Robert Browning (1812-1889)

LOVE IN SPITE OF ….

Love in spite of….
That’s love.
It takes a long time
and a lot of inner conversations –
especially after a hurt or
a misunderstanding
or a broken expectation – to get this.
The scene, situation or classroom
for this learning is usually
marriage or family – or
any big relationship.
We first have to be stopped,
stuck, struck, to see, to hear,

to twist and turn different “What if’s”
and of course, this is not love yet.
Love is a choice, a decision,
an “Oh no!” and then, “Oh, okay!
I know!” within self, within God,
unless we’re a practicing or
non-practicing atheist.
That can make it different or more difficult,
but once we make that decision to love
in spite of what happened
or is happening with mom, dad,
spouse, son, daughter, another,
then … then something new can erupt.
Get that and you can come
off the cross and out of the tomb

and rise to a new morning – a joyful life.
Don’t get it – you’re still
somewhere, sometime, on some Friday,

or some other day of the week - but not

yet celebrating an Easter Sunday morning,

catching fish and breakfast with Jesus. Amen. (1)

(1) Cf. John 21

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

This is the 1000 item on this blog -

thanks to the idea of a "Quote for the Day."

Praise God! In the future, I'll try

to have more Reflections -

if you're following all this. Amen.