Comment by Micah Matrix: “The famous first line of T. S. Eliot’sThe
Waste Landwas almost certainly not written in April but in
January. In a letter on January 23, 1921, Eliot refers to the nascent poem as ‘the
first writing of any kind I have done for six months.’ Two weeks later, he showed
the completed first section ‘in 4 parts’ to Wyndham Lewis. (Eliot would add a
fifth part in May, which he placed at the beginning of the poem, but he would
later remove it at Ezra Pound’s suggestion.) These details, along with other
material evidence, show, as Lawrence Rainey has argued inRevisiting
“The Waste Land,”that the poem was most likely begun in January and
completed sometime in December 1921.” First Things, 4-5-13
Painting on Top: "January Ball Field" by Sarah Yuster
That’s a comment - people sometimes make - to tell us to
“Shut up!” or “Keep quiet!” or “Silence!”
In this homily, I want to say just that. I want to stress
becoming quiet and to listen. I want to talk about getting in touch, listening
to words, messages, God’s urges, God’s will, our will, our urges, the hopes and
dreams of the inner me – the “Go figuring” of the meaning of life. I want to
talk about the big picture - the big stuff. I want to urge listening to the stuff, the
words, that hang around us like a cloud of words that surround each of us.
THE MOVING
TONGUE
The title of my homily is, “Bite Your Tongue.”
Our teeth can clamp our tongue down – by biting our
tongue – to slow it down – to keep it from moving.
Each day we hear 1000 words – 10,000 words – I don’t know
how many words. How could we measure that? It would be a very complicated task
because we don’t know notice all words that enter into us – during our sleep –
then from our morning radio or TV in the background – or from our car radio – or from someone
talking to someone on the train or elevator or bus – or street. How many phone
calls do we deal with each day? If we look around us in Ruby Tuesdays or TGIF –
or McDonalds – we’ll see 50 people on their iPhones or cell phones – the
younger the more cellphones.
Are most words disappearing acts?
Yet if we look into our life – we hear something – and
without knowing it – a sentence, a comment, a saying becomes like a billboard
on the edge of our mind for the rest of our life. We don’t know it at the moment: some messages becomes a life message – a life
sentence.
For example, I was reading a book or hearing a lecture by
Alan Watts back in the 1960’s and he said something that I have thought about
these past 50 years. Now I don't know if what he said was true or false. He was known for "different" comments. He tried LSD and delved heavily into Buddhism and a dozen
other sources of religion and philosophy. The comment Alan Watts made was this: Every person is constantly talking all day long – and somewhat all night long - to themselves. It's called thinking. Pause for a moment and think about that. Begin noticing that we are often holding silent conversations with others – without actually talking to them –
without them knowing what we’re saying to them.
I’ve also heard that others sometimes without knowing it
– are picking up what we’re saying or screaming within.
Unconscious speaks to unconscious. Is any of this true?
I don’t know. Yet I think the answer is "Yes!"
Then he said that the Buddhists try to silence that
tongue that is constantly thinking and talking by pushing their tongue down onto the roof of their mouth. Or they can bite their tongue. Somewhere along the line I came up with the “Bite Your Tongue” meditation
technique. Find a time for peace
and quiet, silence and just being. Just sit there and gently bite the tip of
your tongue. Do that for 1 minute and
then calmly build up to 5 minutes.
Doing just that has made me aware of this flow of forever words – this
slight constant movement of our tongues.
We tell people when they come to church to shut off their
cellphones or electric devices. Some of us make fun of young people forever on
their cellphones, iPhone, texting, twittering, or what have you. What about
turning off our minds?
Silence is golden.
So that's my suggestion: try to gently bite your tongue.
Just close your eyes and your mind – from others and bite the tip of your
tongue. Afterwards calmly become conscious of what just happened to us.
TODAY’S 3
READINGS AND PSALM
Today’s 3 readings and the psalm – are words spoken to us
and at us.
That first reading from 1 Samuel has Samuel sleeping in
the temple – just like so many people fall asleep in church – with the readings
in the background.
Samuel hears words. They wake him up. Our text says it’s
God speaking to him.
Our text tells us that Samuel runs to the prophet Eli and asks if he is calling
him.
Eli says that he didn’t call Samuel – so go back to
sleep.
Our text says that Samuel was young and didn’t as yet know that God speaks or
whispers to us – from deep within.
It’s dream stuff – it’s unconscious stuff. It’s hearing
God calling us by name from deep, deep within.
And a good response is: “Here I am. You called me!”
Then listen.
The psalm for today continues that theme. The response we
said 4 times and heard sung at least 8 times is: “Here am I, Lord; I come to do
your will.”
There it is – the meaning of Life – to do God’s will.
Today’s second reading from 1st Corinthians is
more specific: not to sin.
Today’s second reading tells us – we are one body – the
body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is within us.
Today’s Gospel from John tells us about the call of Andrew who hears from John the Baptist – who
Jesus is – the Lamb of God.
Today’s Gospel has Jesus ask Andrew and his friend –
another of life’s great questions: “What are you looking for?”
And Jesus invites Andrew and this other disciple of John
the Baptist to come and see – to spend time with Jesus – and listen, watch and
learn.
Andrew does this and it must have been an amazing experience - the kind we have to run and tell our best friends or family goes and tells his own brother, “We have found
the Messiah!”
We live in a world of questions. We live in an ocean of
words.
Remember the old poem - The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Remember when Coleridge in that poet says, “Water, water
everywhere and not a drop to drink.”
“Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.”
During many a talk or lecture that seems to be all words,
I have heard myself inwardly saying, “Words, words, everywhere and not a word to drink.”
In other words this person is babbling all words without
any substance to taste our God.
This world is an ocean of words. People spend hours and
hours of life – as the song by James Taylor puts it - on the telephone line –
now it would be wireless. As well as words on the television – and radio.
If we stop to think- if we stop to realize – there are
trillions and billions of words flying through space – all the time - and with
a cellphone or radio receiver or what
have you – we can catch some of those words – to hear.
Then there are all the inner monologues – inner
conversations – everyone is having – all day long.
I like to say all this can be the stuff of prayer and
meditation and thinking.
I like to think that God is talking to everyone – but
everyone is not listening.
I like to think of God as consciousness from his side –
as in marriage – as in friendships – but we are the unconscious ones.
I like to imagine God as the Divine Consciousness who is
keeping this universe going – constantly creating mosquitos and babies – trees
and flowers – pushing water flowing and waving all over the place.
I like to picture God the Father sending His Son, into
our world – into Mary – and that Word became flesh and walked and talked amongst us.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is “Bite Your Tongue.”
Say today with Samuel, “Here I am Lord. You called me.”
Bite your tongue so you can silence your mind and you can listen better.
When you walk down the aisle today – before receiving
communion – bite your tongue and then receive Christ on your tongue – from your
hand – or on your tongue by the Eucharistic Minister.
And then let this Word enter your body and become more
and more not just a word – but a union with Christ made flesh – in our body – with Christ
walking around in our world.
Remember there is a world of difference between words and words
made flesh.
In other words, there is a world of difference between saying, “I’ll be
there” and showing up and being there in the flesh. Amen.
