I  WANT  WHAT  I  WANT, 

WHEN  I  WANT  IT! 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 11 Monday in Ordinary Time  is, “I Want What I Want,  When I Want It!”

Is that me?

That’s one of life’s most important realities.

That’s the thought – and the question - that hit me when I read today’s two readings.

I want what I want, when I want it.

FIRST READING

In today’s first reading from 1^st Kings 21: 1-16, we hear the story how King Ahab of Samaria, wanted a vineyard that belonged to someone else.

It was right next to Ahab’s house – and he thought it would be a great spot for a vegetable garden.

The owner of the vineyard – a man named Naboth – said to the king, “No!”

Ahab offered Naboth a better vineyard – or money if he preferred.

The answer was still, “No!”

Naboth said his vineyard  was part of his ancestral heritage.

Ahab became angry - very angry.

Next came depression.  He hid himself under the blankets in his bed.

Anger and Depression often are bedfellows.

Ahab’s wife, the infamous Jezebel,  then cut him down further – saying, “A fine ruler over Israel you are.” 

Can’t you picture her saying that as she stood  over him in his king sized bed?

Then to add insult to insult – she said, “I’ll take care of this one.”

She then basically planned Naboth’s death – by stones – coming up with some false accusations against him.

Today’s first reading ends with Ahab out of bed and headed down the road to take over the property.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel – a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5: 38-42 -  we run into this same issue of confrontation: what to do when someone wants something when they want something?

Jesus tries a different approach – telling us to say, “Yes!” – and not, “No!”

In fact, Jesus says take the slap on the left cheek  - after we get slapped on the right cheek. Walk the mile the other wants us to walk and then top the person by going the extra mile. When someone wants our tunic, give him our cloak as well. If someone wants to borrow something from us, give it to them.

Then, watch what happens - in the long run - to our heart and mind – when we try this approach.

CONCLUSION: TITLE OF MY HOMILY ONCE AGAIN

The title of my homily is, “I Want What I Want, When I Want It.”

Does this apply to parenting: when the kid sees a toy, or a game or McDonald’s – and wants what she or he wants when they want it?

What’s it like to be in a full parking lot – and we’re driving around looking for a spot? Surprise! We see someone’s car back lights go on. Looks like they are about to back out. We stop and wait for that driver to pull out – but they pull out their cell phone first and start talking. We’re waiting – and waiting – and waiting – and waiting-  and then they finally back out  towards us – sort of blocking us. Suddenly someone else shoots into that spot ahead of us.

What’s it like to be at a restaurant – and we see the maître d’ giving  a table to a party who just came in – without reservations. It looks like they know each other. And we’ve  been there waiting forever?

Is life lots of not getting what we want?

Is getting our skills in this area a key to serenity?

Is this what kids are for – along with traffic and picking the slowest check-out counter every time in the supermarket - to teach us – we can’t run the universe?

We can't always get what we want - especially when we want it.

Did God learn this one, a long time, starting from that evening – when God asked in his mind about Adam and Eve, “Where are they? Are they hiding? Did they do what I told them not to?” Does God then say, “I guess I’m not going to get what I want when it comes to these two?”

Note:

Painting on top: 

Woman Crying 

by Pablo Picasso

IS GOD LONELY?

Poem for Today - Monday - June 16, 2014

THEY ASK:

IS GOD, TOO, LONELY

When God scooped up a handful of dust,

And spit on it, and molded the shape of man,

And blew a breath into it and told it to walk –

That was a great day.

And did God do this because He was lonely?

Did God say to Himself he must have company

And therefore He would make man to walk the earth

And set apart churches for speech and song with               God?

These are questions.
They are scrawled in old caves.
They are painted in tall cathedrals.
There are men and women so lonely they believe

God, too, is lonely.

© Carl Sandburg,

Harvest Poems

1910-1860

Painting on top:
Planting by
Rex Goreleigh

AS  A  FATHER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my words for today is, “As A Father”.

Instead of a homily for today - Father's Day - it hit me yesterday -  to present a list of  hopes and prayers - for what I would hope and pray - a Christian Father would see – hope for – pray for – be - and do.

Today is also the feast of the Most Holy Trinity – and I would state – that how we see God, how we experience God – stems very much  - from how we see and experience our father who art on earth – our dad. That is scary. That is profound. That is quite a responsibility and honor - for any father and mother – grandfather and grandmother – teacher or guardian. We learn from the visible before we grasp the invisibles. We go from the known to the unknown. We experience our parents – family – others – the other kids in the playground and school and park – and parties -  before we experience our God – who we Christians believe -  is a Trinity – 3 persons – who are 1 – because of their deepest love and union with each other.

If we grow up with rigid rules – stone commandments – severe condemnations – and punishments -  perhaps that’s how we’ll see God and how we’ll do life. If that was our experience, perhaps too, we won’t get the new commandments of love – coming from Jesus – who told us he was telling us what he was getting from his Father – our God – who as we heard in today’s gospel – is a God who so loved the world that he gave his only son – so that everyone who believes in God might not perish but might have eternal life.

So I would urge all the fathers here to make a list of what their hopes and prayers are for – for their children and all the children of our world.

Being someone called “father”,  I thought I can do this too. In fact,  I better do this first – to make a list – to do that homework - in hopes that the fathers here – would follow my example. Hopefully that would make today - Father’s Day – not just a day to hear “Thank you!” as a father  – but that it might be a day of renewal for all fathers as well.

A WISH LIST

So here’s my list:

As a father, I hope and pray - there will be no father – who will not hear from someone one today, “Happy Father’s Day!”

As a father, I hope and pray – for more – much more than that - that all fathers get new bow ties, conversation starters at that,  brunch, lunch, cards, phone calls if they are at a distance – and they hear in their children’s voices – the wonderful tones that can be heard in a rich, “Thank you, dad.”

As a father, I hope and pray all fathers today renew their role as fathers – concern and care for the next generation.

As a father,  I hope and pray a prayer of thanksgiving for all fathers this day – especially my own dad – and that you do the same. If you’re  sitting here, you have a dad. I love to quote Groucho Marx in this context – when he said, “If your parents didn’t have any kids, chances are you won’t too.” My dad was quite a guy – and a quiet guy. He died – Friday - June 26, 1970 – emphysema – a week after Father’s Day. Thank you God, for letting me and all our family  be there in Moses Maimonides Hospital,  Brooklyn, New York that afternoon at 2 PM. Thank you for letting me  spot a couple in the lobby – leaving the hospital at the same time as us – with their new born baby

As a father, I hope and pray that all of you have neat photographs of  your dad – in a prominent place in your home – as well as pictures of you with your dad. I cherish several black and white photographs.  There I am a tiny little two year old in my dad’s arms – Bliss Park – Brooklyn, N. Y. I smile that they were still taking pictures even though I was the fourth and last kid.

As a father, I hope and pray – all of us grab some time today – to pinch ourselves – to marvel at all the circumstances, events, zillions and zillions and zillions of them – like dominos falling – that had to happen to make us happen – our father being most significant – the moment we were conceived in our mother’s womb. I often think of Carl Sagan’s comment in this regard: “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.”  So too each of us.

As a father, I hope and pray Christian fathers will see and will be what the Trinity is: relationships. It’s all about relationships – connections – we’re made in the image and likeness of God. It’s not good to be or go it alone. We are because of our parents. We are fathers because of others – spouses, children, those we care and serve.

As a father, I hope and pray we do some deep thinking today about our own fathers – part of the duo who brought us forth – if there is any need for deeper conversations, comment, talk and listening – if they are alive – do it. If they are dead – let them know our thoughts and feelings in prayer today. If possible, tape and write down history. Watch an older person’s face light up, when we give them undivided attention – and ask, “What was it like when…?”

As a father, I hope and pray we care with mothers and others - for the earth –  our home for generations to come.

As a father, I hope and prayer these girls in Africa are found – and returned home safe and sound.

As a father, I hope and pray that churches and schools, groups and organization, get it together for more watchdog vigilance and concern to stop abuse of children and minors.

As a father, I hope and pray  - that - if there is any need for forgiveness – unless bringing up the past  causes eruptions and family earthquakes – that forgiveness be given and forgiveness be received. Many weekends – when I have a wedding – I see families where there was a divorce – handle the rehearsal and the wedding – with care and concern for each other – especially the couple getting married. Mistakes – disasters – crashes and clashes happen. Sometimes, “I forgive you!” is a thousand times more important than “I love you.”

CONLUSION

Hope everyone – especially dads – have a Happy Father’s Day.

Note:

Picture on top 

taken in Helsinki, Finland

ON BEING A FATHER

Poem for Today - Father's Day - June 1, 2014

TO MY CHILDREN,

FEARING FOR THEM

Terrors are to come. The earth

is poisoned with narrow lives.

I think of you. What will you

live through, or perish by, eats

at my heart. What have I done?

I need better answers than there are

to the pain of coming to see

what was done in blindness,

loving what I cannot save. Nor,

your eyes turning towards me,

can I wish your lives unmade

though the pain of them is on me.

© Wendell Berry,

Pages 59-60 in

Collected Poems

1957-1982

FLY IN THE SPACE 

YOU'RE IN!

Poem for Today - Saturday  June 14, 2014

EXAMPLE

A butterfly flew between the cars.
Marie Jose said: it must be Chuang Tzu,

on a tour of  New York.

                 But the butterfly

didn’t know it was a butterfly

dreaming it was Chuang Tzu

                 or Chuang Tzu

dreaming he was a butterfly.
The butterfly never wondered:

                                  It flew.

EJEMPLO

La mariposa volaba entre los autos.
Marie Jose me dijo: ha der ser Chuang Tzu,

de paso por Nueva York.

Pero la mariposa

no sabia que era una mariposa

que sonaba ser Chuang Tzu

o Chuang Tzu

que sonaba ser una mariposa.

La mariposa no dudaba:

volaba.

© Octavio Paz,

Page 488-489

In The Collected

Poems of Octavio Paz,

1957-1987

LONG  KNEELING

Poem for Today - Friday -  June 13, 2014

IN A COUNTRY CHURCH

To one kneeling down no word came,
Only the wind’s song, saddening the lips

Of the grave saints, rigid in glass;

Or the dry whisper of unseen winds,

Bats not angels, in  the high roof.

Was he balked by silence? He kneeled long,

And saw love in a dark crown

Of thorns blazing, and a winter tree

Golden with fruit of a man’s body.

© R. S. Thomas
Painting on top:
Christmas Prayers
by Henry Bacon

SPRINGS! 

DISCOVER AND DIG 
AND DRINK DEEP 

OF  THE SPRINGS 

OF LIVING WATER! 

Poem for Today - Thursday -   June 12, 2014

THE SPRINGS

In a country without saints or shrines

I knew one who made his pilgrimage

to springs, where in his life’s dry years

his mind held on. Everylasting,

people called them, and gave  them names.
The water broke into sounds and shinings

at the vein mouth, bearing the taste

of the place, the deep rock, sweetness

out of the dark. He bent and drank

in bondage to the ground.

© Wendell Berry,

Page 106 in

Collected Poems,

1957-1982