HAGAR AND THE HORRIBLE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Hagar and the Horrible.”

As you know there is a comic strip in lots of U.S. newspapers called, “Hagar the Horrible.”

It’s my favorite comic strip. In fact it’s the only one I look at.

Hagar in that story is a Viking and there are lots of funny stories in that comic series – usually Hagar being outfoxed by his wife.

She’s the smart – prudent – practical – realistic one; he’s the fool – the butt of jokes and dumb moves and unawareness.

THE BOOK OF GENESIS

In the book of Genesis we have the horrible story about Hagar and Sarah.

Abraham has Sarah as his wife – but she’s producing no children, no son. Abraham does have a son by her slave, Hagar, the Egyptian.

And Sarah, seeing how much her husband, Abraham, loves his son Ishmael, becomes jealous and wants both Hagar and her son eliminated – put out into the dry desert to die.

Abraham concedes to Sarah – and Hagar and her son Ishmael are – excommunicated – sent out of camp to die in the desert.

And we know from Genesis that Ishmael and Hagar are saved by an angel and live – and continue as part of the story of Abraham and Israel.

ARTISTS

Artists, painters, but especially sculptors, found the desert scene of the dying woman and her son – a powerful subject for a sculpture.

It’s can tell in stone or wood the life story – of a woman – a single woman – struggling to raise a son – or daughter.  It’s a pieta of a mother and a child.

It’s the story of millions of women – and men – around the world – struggling without food, water, place – enslaved by others – caught with Ebola – and war – etc.

We see live sculptures of this scene many times on the evening news.

ISLAM

Islam doesn’t mention Hagar in the Koran – but Ishmael and Ibrahim are part of their history.

One of their ancient legends or stories is that of Ishmael and Ibrahim as the builders of the famous cube building – the Kaaba - in Mecca. That’s one of the central shrines in Muslim religion.

ST. PAUL

St. Paul uses the story of Hagar and Sarah in  the first reading for today from Galatians 4: 22-24, 256-27, 31 – 5:1. The message is one of Paul’s constants: we have a chance to be a slave or free.

We can follow the law or we can discover freedom in Christ.

CONCLUSION

Looking at our life – our choices – our time schedule – do feel a sense of joy that we do what we do freely – out of love for each other – or do we feel that our life is all obligation.

I like weekday Mass – because we’re all here out of freedom.

This afternoon, however, we priests are heading to New Jersey – for 3 days of meetings. I don’t know about the other guys, but I’m going out of obligation. Smile.

THE HEALING POWERS

OF TREES

Poem for Today - October 13, 2014

THE SYCAMORE

In the place that is my own place, whose earth

I am shaped in and must bear, there is an old tree growing,

a great sycamore that is a wondrous healer of itself.

Fences have been tied to it, nails driven into it,

hacks and whittles cut in it, the lightning has burned it.

There is no year it has flourished in

that has not harmed it. There is a hollow in it

that is its death, though its living brims whitely

at the lip of the darkness and flows outward.

Over all its scars has come the seamless white

of the bark. It bears the gnarls of its history

healed over. It has risen to a strange perfection

in the warp and bending of its long growth.

It has gathered all accidents into its purpose.

It has become the intention and radiance of its dark fate.

It is a fact, sublime, mystical and unassailable.

In all the country there is no other like it.

I recognize in it a principle, an indwelling

the same as itself, and greater, than I would be ruled by.

I see that it stands in its place, and feeds upon it,

And is fed upon, and is native, and maker.

© Wendell Berry

Page 284-285

in Upholding Mystery,

An Anthology of 

Contemporary Christian

Poetry, edited by

David Impastato,

New York, Oxford,

Oxford University Press,

1997

THE 3  BIGGEST QUESTIONS 

FOUND IN EVERY BRAIN 

?   ?   ?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “The 3 Biggest  Questions Found in Every Brain.”

Let me begin with a question: “Does everyone have lifetime questions?”

That question was triggered by today’s readings.

It’s my experience that people come up with questions as they hear or read the Sunday readings at Mass. That sets up a problem – a question: “How come you didn’t preach on the question that hit me from today’s readings?”

That causes an “Uh oh!” in me at times – because I think to myself, “Hey there are a couple of hundred people here – perhaps each with a different question.” 

So, “Uh oh! That’s an, “Uh oh!”

I assume that’s why some preachers start off with an example – to try to get everyone off their wave length and onto the speakers.

I think – but I’m not sure – that’s why I try to get people to come up with questions – more than answers. I want  to get people to get in touch with their questions and start thinking about them during the homily – during the Mass -  and then during the week.

The title of my homily is, “The 3 Biggest  Questions Found in Every Brain.”

I like questions. It's not by accident the question mark is shaped the way it's shaped.  It's a hook - like a fishing hook.

CLEMENT JEDRZEJEWSKI

One of my favorite questions is to ask people, “Have you written your memoirs yet?”

And sometimes people say, “Yeah! I’m working on them.”

There was an article in yesterday's New York Times  - exactly on this topic: write your memoirs. [1]

I think people spend the second half of their life – working on figuring out the first half of their life – as well as what’s happening now – as well as what’s going to happen in the future. Questions… wonderings … worries … about kids, marriage, relationships, money, parents, what’s in the wings?

I think people are always, “Figuring!”  They are looking you right in the face – but what’s behind that face – in that mind behind the face – they are somewhere else. I know I am.

So what’s going on in your mind – behind your eyes – behind your face: Where are your energies? What are your questions? What’s going on? What’s important? Is significance your bottom line?

What have been the 3 most significant moments of your life so far?

Who has had the most impact on you?

Who have been your greatest teachers?

Answers to these questions are the stuff of memoirs and memories.

I once ran into an old man named, Clement Jedrzejewski.

I was in my 30’s – and working in a retreat house in New Jersey – right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

I was doing weekend retreats for men’s and women’s groups – and high school retreats during the week.

Clement lived down the road in another retreat house – where we used to say Mass in the morning. Finding out that Clement was a retired teacher – who taught future teachers – I asked him how he’d give a high school retreat. He had worked at St. Francis College, Brooklyn, New York.

He asked me my questions and then he asked me some of his questions and then he said, “Give me a week or so to think about your question and we’ll talk again.”

Two weeks later I was taking him shopping and he said, “Okay, here’s a method that I like to use.”

“When the kids get off the bus, let them explore the whole property and the whole place – everywhere. When dogs come into a new place – they like to sniff in every corner.”

“Then,” he said, “After they eat together,  at your first big retreat session, ask them to jot down all the questions they have about life, school, friends, family, future, these three days, whatever.”

“Have them do that by themselves – on their piece of paper. Then tell them to put a circle around their top 3 questions.”

“Then tell them to look around the room and pick out one person – just one person they think they can talk to. If there is an odd number, you talk to that person. Then tell them to put that first piece of paper away – in their pocket. Then the two of you – jot down all your questions – and once more put a circle around your 3 top questions.”

“Then put that  piece of paper away – and pick out 4 or 5 people – whom you are in a clique with or a group with – and jot down all your questions – and put a circle around your top 3 questions.” 

Clement added, “Don’t try to get them to meet with new people. Tell them to hang with those they know. That way it’s more real – and serious conversations might carry over into when they are back home or at school.”

That was different. I was told to break up folks when doing group work.

Then Clement said, “Now have the whole group – yell out their questions – not from the papers in their pockets – but from the floor – then come up with 3 top questions. That’s what you spend the retreat on.”

He concluded: “Keep saying, ‘There are no stupid questions – only stupid answers.’”

THIS HOMILY

The title of my homily is, “The 3 Biggest  Questions Found in Every Brain.”

Today, this week, jot down on paper or computer what you think might be the 3 biggest questions found in every brain. Start by jotting down all the questions you think of – then put a circle around the top 3.

Do this by yourself and then do it with someone else – your spouse – or close friends – then do it with associates.

Relax there is no official list of the 3 biggest questions in every brain.

This week, this time in your life, they might be this, next week, next year, there will be different questions.

For example, today’s readings trigger for me various questions.

What is God like? Is God like the God described in today’s first reading from Isaiah? God is on a mountain and he’s setting up a banquet for all peoples. Notice the all – as in all peoples. He’s preparing a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food, choice wines. Then he’s going to destroy the veil that veils all peoples – the web woven over all nations. Does that mean he’s going to let us all finally see – we are one people – no walls, no veils, no webs. He’s going to destroy death forever and wipe away tears from all faces. He is going to save us – save all of us.

Is that what God is like? Is that God’s dream – that we’ll all see what Isaiah saw – that Martin Luther King Jr. saw – when he said, “I’ve been to the mountain” – that mountain where we’ll be one. Finally!

Or is God like the king in today’s gospel from Matthew who invites folks to a wedding feast for his son – but folks reject the invitation – so he kills all those who reject him? Then when the poor and those found on the back roads – come to the banquet, the king throws out someone who didn’t come with a wedding out fit on. Hey is God like that?

That’s one of my life time questions: What is God like?

Obviously I hope my image and likeness of God is God? I’ve always liked Luke’s Jesus – and Luke’s God – better than the God I find in Matthew. Luke doesn’t have this guy tossed out into the darkness – where he wails and grinds his teeth. Matthew has Jesus destroying the fig tree on first instance – for not producing figs – but Luke has Jesus giving the lazy fig tree – getting another chance. I’m a softie – so I like Luke’s images of Jesus and God – at least the one’s I like.

But who’s right? We’ve all heard preachers and parents – whose image of God – scares us and we say, “That’s not my God?

Well, what is God like?

That’s one of my 3 life time questions in my brain.

Is that question in every brain?

We have to talk to each other to find out.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “The 3 Biggest  Questions Found in Every Brain.”

I just said that one of my biggest life time questions is: “What is God like?”

I think that’s in every brain – somewhere.

I also think people ask: “Is there a God?”

I also think people ask, “Is there life after this life?”

I also think people ask, “Does God have a plan, a hope, a will for me – and if “Yes” what is it?

I also think people ask the question found in the world’s shortest poem – two words and it rhymes, “I / Why?” I don’t know who wrote that poem but I first heard it when we were studying Existential Philosophy in our 3^rd year of college and I’ve never forgotten it. “I/Why?”

I also think people ask the question found in the world’s next shortest poem – two words and it also rhymes and I wrote it, “You/Who?”

That’s the relationship question.

What are the questions you’re asking – lifetime questions – big questions. That’s your homework for this week. Jot them down and put a circle around the top 3 and compare answers and notes with each other. Amen.

-----ooooooo-----

NOTES:

[1] "Appeal of Writing Memoirs Grow, as Do Publishing Options," by Elizabeth Olson, page B4, The New York Times, Business, Saturday, October 11, 2014

OUT OF THE DEPTHS
I CRY TO YOU, O LORD

Poem for Today - October 12, 2014

DE PROFUNDIS

From the depths of cosmic, boundless space

From the destitute  places of human misery

From souls torn with yearning

From disabled bodies

From houses locked in bondage

To you – O Incomprehensible

Flows a silent, unutterable supplication.

You know it - O Omniscent Lord

You give ear to it

You understand it, O Eternal Wisdom

You answer the prayer, O Infinite Goodness

With our hearts burning with hope

We await he response of your voice

Lost Mankind has been yearning for it.

We have been failed by a multitude of sages

We have been failed by the applauded prophets

We have been failed by the dictates of leaders

Lost in the blackness of night

We have been failed by the glare of beauty

We are looking for new ways

Show us a new dawn, O Sole Truth

© Clement Jedrzejewski

New York, February 5, 1972

(Authorized translation

from the Polish.)

1997

WHEN FROZEN AND ALL ALONE - 

WHO OR WHAT IS ALL AROUND YOU? 

Poem for October 11, 2014

THE IGLOO

Outside the igloo he waited

for an invitation to come inside.

There was no knocker, no doorbell.

He coughed, there was no reply.

He crouched down and peered in.

He felt the warm air from a fire

pat his cheeks and ruffle his hair.

Hello he said quietly and repeated it.

The frost in his toes urged him in,

so did the pain in his gut. His knees

one by one welcomed the snow

and brought him into the warmth.

He stood up and breathed deeply.

He held a foot up to the flames

then swapped it for the other foot.

He lay down on the polar bear rug

but a smell yanked him upright again

and led him to a dresser of  bone

where a bowl sat with a cover on it.

He lifted this to reveal dried meat.

He grabbed a chunk and tore at it

with his teeth. It was reindeer.

He devoured all that was in the bowl

and went looking for some more.

He found none, but there was a bottle

of firewater which he swigged.

He swigged again and left it down.

He lay on the bearskin and fell asleep.

©  Matthew Sweeney, Poetry Magazine – April 2014

THE ICE OF 
FROZEN HATE 

NEEDS TO THAW 
TO RAIN 

Poem For Today - October 10, 2014

FIRE AND ICE

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice. 

© Robert Frost

OCTOBER DAY

Poem for Today - October 9, 2014

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE

FINE OCTOBER DAYS

It was one of those fine October days
free from summer’s heat and haze
but not yet gripped by autumn chill.

It was one of those fine October days
when the sky’s so clear
you can see the moon
through the atmosphere
at midday.

It was one of those fine October days
when the trees sport yellow and red
instead of everyday summer green.

It was one of those fine October days
when one draws a deep breath
and is grateful
to be resident on Earth. 

© Richard Greene