WHEN DOES OUR TRUE

CHARACTER SHOW ITSELF?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “When Does Our True Character Show Itself?”

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s readings are very interesting – containing very detailed down to earth incidents. I’ll leave the gospel story about Caesar and coins to Father Jack Kingsbury – who has made it his specialty and interest to concentrate on Biblical Coins.

The last line in today’s first reading from Tobit hit me: “See! Your true character is finally showing itself!”

Tobit goes blind and when Anna his wife brings home a goat that someone gave her – it gets Tobit’s goat. Tobit gets testy and gets nervous. He thinks it was stolen. Anna says it was a bonus – an extra – from those who paid her wages for work she did with cloth for them. Tobit doesn’t believe her. He gets angry with her. So Anna fires back, “Where are your charitable deeds now? Where are your virtuous acts? See! Your true character is finally showing itself!”

As I read that I asked myself, “How many times in the history of the world has this kind of an exchange taken place between husbands and wives – family members – fellow workers – church members?

It sounds so real – people being feisty and testy with each other – people challenging each other on the truth of some matter – one person not believing the other person – and who’s your true self?

Who am I when I’m alone? Does everyone have a real self and a public self? When am I in character? When am I out of character? Do we all put an act on at times? Have we ever been sick or out of sorts and we say the wrong thing – and those who know us say of us, “Relax. Don’t worry. He’s just not himself today.” Or, “She’s been a different person lately, but she’ll be back to her old self soon.” At our funeral will someone say of us, “Whom you saw is whom you got?” Or will someone not say: “You never knew who would show up when he showed up.”

CHARACTER

Then last night as I was putting together these thoughts I began wondering about that word “character” in today’s first reading. I asked myself, “What is character?” This English word is used in several ways. “She’s out of character.” or “He’s quite a character.”

So when the translators used this word “character” at the end of today’s first reading, I was wondering about it. In fact it seems to me that it’s a word and a concept that is out of character for our Bible.
That was my first reaction to this word. I also wondered about “cataracts” from bird droppings and could they have chosen a different English world – like eye problems.

Back to “character”. It’s probably grabbed me because it sounds Greek to me – something that would come out of Greek Philosophy – and not Hebrew thought. And sure enough the book of Tobit goes back to around 200 B.C. when there was heavy influence of Greek thought in Israel. Next I found out that some scholars say this book of Tobit was written in Aramaic – and translated into Greek and Hebrew. Up to modern times we didn’t have a Hebrew text for Tobit. It’s not part of the Jewish Bible. With the Dead Sea Scroll discoveries they now have Hebrew and Aramaic fragments of Tobit – which then brings me back to one of my original questions: what is the Hebrew context of this text? And after a tiny bit of research it seems that the New American Bible has a decent translation of the text – using the word “character”. It simply means who a person really is. (1)

It seems that Tobit got antsy when Anna brings home a goat – and into the house – and the new – the new sounds “baah” or “eeeh” or whatever goats sound like, caused conflict. Then his wife got in there under his skin – when she said, “You walk around with this pious look – and you’re so nice to others – but here you are not being nice and charitable to me – your own wife.”

CONCLUSION

So I would assume the challenge for all of us here – especially when we get older – and our sight goes or whatever goes – is that we better be nice to each other – especially if we know how to be nice to others – avoiding fitting the description of being a lamb abroad and an old angry goat at home. Amen.

Painting on top: Tobit Sees a Flock of Birds by Robert Lenkiewicz, from Paintings Painted Blind - on the Theme of Tobit - year 2000. He painted this series - called, "Project 21".



(1) “Tobit, Book of” John L. McKenzie, Dictionary of the Bible, McMillan Publishing Company, New York, 1965, page 895; “Tobit” Irene Norwell, O.S.B. in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, 1990, p. 568

REREADING

Quote for Today - March 8, 2011


"When you reread a classic you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before."

Clifton Fadiman [1904-1999] Any Number Can Play [1957]

NOSTAGLIA

Quote for Today - March 7, 2011


"Nostaglia is like a grammar lesson. You find the present tense and the past perfect."

Anonymous, New Venture, June 1981

ON THE BALCONY

[This is a story homily for the 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A]

On the balcony they were holding hands – without even noticing when they reached out their hands to each other. It was something they did naturally – a lot more lately – especially when they were alone and more relaxed.

It was March 6, 2011.

The two of them were just sitting there on cold metal beach balcony chairs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Ocean City, Maryland.

It was cold.

“Good thing we brought our winter coats, Honey. Good thing we brought our winter coats.”

She thought to herself, “He often repeats himself. Doesn’t he?”

She remained quiet – cold and quiet – on the 6th floor balcony – and she didn’t see anyone else sitting outside in the cold – to her north or to her south – in these big cement – mountain cliff like condos – all along the ocean front.

He wanted to know if she was happy – that she was glad the two of them were here for their 40th Anniversary. It was a suggestion from their 4 kids – mainly their 2nd oldest – who was doing well financially so far with his job. He told them this time-share condo was open for them if they wanted it – for this week.

He stood up. He went inside and got a blanket. Then he came out and put it over her sitting there in the cold. “It beats Buffalo,” he said. “It beats Buffalo in early March.”

He sat down again – next to her – and once more both hands joined automatically.

Sunday afternoon – a couple of hours to just be - not much on TV – and they had taken a nice long walk in the morning along the boardwalk – after breakfast – after Mass – and they were going out for supper – to a crab place someone recommended.

You get beef in Buffalo. You get fish or crab cakes in Ocean City.

He sat there reflecting on life.

Without knowing it, he began thinking about the homily the priest preached that Sunday morning at the 7 o’clock Mass – in the nearby church – within walking distance of where they were staying. Nice.

The priest had talked about the readings for this Sunday being no brainers. He was saying, “Life offers the basic formula: build your house on rock or build your house on sand. One brings blessings; the other brings curses. It’s as simple as that.” And it was a very short sermon and both of them liked that. They were stereotypical early Sunday Morning Mass goers.

Bill and Helen certainly built their home on rock – not buying anything unless they had money to buy it. They learned that marriage was all about adjusting to and loving one another – having a good job and your own home and having good kids – and making sure they got a upbringing and a good education. And then enjoying grandkids – spoiling them – babysitting them – games – especially playing cards – and then watching their kids learn what they learned from having kids.

Bill and Helen learned about the importance of forgiveness and giving the other space when needed – and being there when needed. They learned from their mistakes. At times they forgot each other because of work or kids or outside interests – but they always recovered in time – making time for each other.

Nobody taught them – well marriage taught them – about the importance of good communication.

And their 4 kids are turning out okay so far – and all 4 are out of the house. A couple of their friends said that’s a big one. Jimmy, their second youngest, finally left – just last year – so they were all alone again – and they were discovering each other as two different people – but two people in their mid-60’s still in love – but in a love quite different than 40 years ago when they got married.

Still sitting out there on the cold balcony, Bill was wondering to himself: I guess these are the kinds of thoughts one has – when one goes away for a week with one’s wife – for a 40th anniversary get-a-way.

“Oops, Hon,” Bill said, “I’m sitting here doing all the thinking. What’s going on with you? What’s going on with you?”

Helen said, “Oh nothing. I was just thinking about the gospel we heard in church this morning – about building one’s house on rock or sand.

“Seeing the beach down there, the sermon got me thinking about my two brothers. When we were kids – we used to go to the beach in Cape Cold. I was thinking: Tom never learned. He always built his sandcastles too close to the ocean – and the tide would come in and wipe his out first – every time – and he would cry every time.

“Without knowing it then,” Helen said, “Tom always lived life too close to the edge – and no wonder his marriage and his family fell apart – and then he did it again with his second marriage – and that crumbled too. Ugh! Messy. Messy. Messy.

“On the other hand, Charlie my other brother, never was into sandcastles. He was always back in the house we rented for two weeks at Cape Cod in the summer – building his castles and his towers – but with Lego’s.

“I’m sitting here wondering: was that why Charlie became the architect and Tom became the stock broker. I don’t know.

Pause – another nice pause settled down on both of them like a blanket – neither of them looking at each other – both still looking out to sea.

Then Helen said, “That’s what I was thinking about. Why did you ask?”

“I was just wondering. I was just wondering.”

Another pause – another moment of quiet.

They just sat there – still – still looking out at the ocean – still holding hands – still being quite quiet.

Then Bill asked, “How do you think we did? How do you think we did?”

Helen said to herself – this time with an inner smile, “I wonder if he ever notices – he always repeats himself.”

Then she said, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Then with a devilish impulse she repeated herself, “Bill I wouldn’t of had it any other way. We did well together – but let’s not come here to Ocean City, Maryland in March 2021 for our 50th Anniversary”

At that Bill held her hand even tighter and said, “Okay. - - - - - - - Okay. - - - - - - - We did well. We did well. And Helen – thanks for marrying me and loving me all through these years. Thanks for loving me all through the years. Amen. Amen.”

A SELF EDUCATED PERSON

Quote for Today   March 6,  2011


"A stumble may prevent a fall."


Proverb

WISDOM!
BE ATTENTIVE!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 8th Saturday in Ordinary Time is, “Wisdom! Be Attentive!”

I’m sure you’ve heard at different times, in the Eastern Rite Churches, the reader chants before the readings, “Wisdom! Be Attentive!”

That’s exactly what Sirach – whom we’ve been listening to for two weeks now – as the First Reading – has been proclaiming – along with the so called, “Wisdom Literature” in the Old Testament.

“Wisdom! Be Attentive!”

And the Wisdom writers – tell their listeners – there is wisdom all around us – so be attentive to it. We can learn from nature – from creation. There are lessons in the trees and in the weather – along with watching people and learning from how life works – when people pursue what is right and just. There are consequences.

“Wisdom! Be Attentive!”

TODAY’S FIRST READING

In today’s first reading, Sirach – or his longer name, Jesus Ben Sirach – tells us to pray for wisdom in the temple – and to seek it like a grape becoming ripe. He also tells us the importance of having good wisdom teachers.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

That can lead us as Christians to praise Jesus – and to have him as a wisdom teacher.

Sirach said the seeker of wisdom has to open the gate and enter into wisdom. Jesus said he was the gate. And Jesus gives great wisdom once your enter into him.

Jesus said watch the birds of the air and study the flowers of the field. We will certainly be waiting for both – after this long winter.

Jesus said there are lessons in the skies and in the weather – in sheep and shepherds – in not being like the Pharisees and the scribes.

Jesus said to watch carpenters building homes on rock and not sand. We’ll hear that tomorrow in Sunday’s gospel. Jesus said to listen and learn – especially from his parables.

And the Pharisees and the Scribes – couldn’t stand it – that a carpenter – someone from nowhere in the north – Nazareth – had such wisdom.

The common folk picked it up – so this drove the Pharisees even into deeper frustration – till they realized they had to get rid of him.

CONCLUSION

So today – March 5th – 2011 – there is much to learn – there is wisdom to be gained and attained.

Today – March 5th - 2011 – there are questions hanging on trees and on people’s faces – ask them, "What's happening with you?"

Today – March 5th – 2011 – just like yesterday and just like tomorrow, we have two ears and one mouth – or as the German saying puts it, “The wise have long ears and short tongues,” so “Wisdom! Be attentive.”

MONOPOLY

Quote for Today  March 5,  2011


"Police arrested a Bensalem, Pennsylvania, man on charges of having fatally shot his friend with a bow and arrow. The two had been playing Monopoly and gotten into an argument when, according to the Bucks County district attorney, 'The defendant decided he wanted to be the car [game token] rather than the thimble or hat.'"

Page 258 in What Were They Thinking: Really Bad Ideas Throughout History, by Bruce Felton