STANDING  AT  A  CASKET 

He stood there at a casket.

He put his hand on the priest’s hand -

the hand that made the sign of the cross

at him in the dark anonymous confessional -

as he heard the priest say,

“I absolve you from your sins.”

He then said in the dark confessional box

in his brain, “You heard me confess my sins.

Please bring them now to God our Father

for continued forgiveness - before I get there.

Amen.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

ONE OF THE JOYS 

IN BEING A PRIEST 

I heard how he is with God.

He was telling me how he prayed.

“Wow!” I said to God.

Then I added, “Lucky You God.”

Then I added, “Lucky me, God,

hearing how people are with You, God.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

                                               *

AHAB AND JEZEBEL:

THE BAD GUYS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 11 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Ahab and Jezebel: The Bad Guys.”

Those of you who like novels and TV programs like NCIS, know that the basic plot in many stories  is Good vs. Evil - the Good Guys vs. the Bad Guys.

Yesterday and today’s first reading from the First Book of Kings feature Ahab as the Bad Guy along with his dangerous wife, Jezebel, the Bad Gal.

Yesterday they had Naboth killed and they grabbed his property.

Today’s first reading - 1 Kings 21: 17-29 - has Elijah telling Ahab that Jezebel will be killed and dogs will lick her blood. That’s what happens to her. She’s thrown out an upper window. Elijah tells Ahab the same is going to happen to him and his descendents. Then near the end of today’s reading,  we hear that Ahab repents and changes a bit - so Elijah the  prophet then says it’s only going to happen to your descendents.

It’s my opinion that  the authors - the writers of the Books of Kings - are writing and telling these  stories in hindsight. They take  what actually happened and then tailor the story to match the history.

THE REASON FOR A STORY

A story teller tells a story for a purpose - to get a message across.

I would assume that the hearer and the reader hears the story and looks at his or her life and sees where they are compared to the characters in the story. I would assume that the moral of the story is that sin is a boomerang - it comes back on you. Sin has a backlash. Sin has consequences. Sin - evil has bad karma as some call it - and evil does show up in future generations - bad example becomes us and family and others pick up on our mistakes. That’s the bad news.

So too when good happens. That’s the good news.

THE SONG AND LITERATURE

These stories in the Bible show up in future stories down through history as well.

I typed into Google last night the word Jezebel. Surprise there was a 1938 movie with Bette Davis called Jezebel  In this William Wyler movie people could see on the screen and in the story a woman deal with her life issues - including evil - but nothing as strong as Jezebel in the Bible.

I also remember the Frankie Lane song, Jezebel. If you are anywhere as old as I am, you know the song lines from that 1951 song sung by Frankie Layne.

If ever the devil was born without a pair of horns
It was you, Jezebel, it was you
If ever an angel fell, Jezebel, it was you
Jezebel, it was you

If ever a pair of eyes promised paradise
Deceiving me, grieving me, leavin' me blue
Jezebel, it was you

If ever the devil's plan was made to torment man
It was you, Jezebel, it was you

I’ve been on close to 40 retreats with our high school kids. I noticed lots of kids listening to all kinds of music - much of which doesn’t do anything for me. I wondered if listening to Frankie Lane’s song, did that song Jezebel help any guy to avoid Jezabel’s in their lives?  Do the songs people listen to challenge any listener to improve their lives?

Literature is filled with good and bad characters  - the guy with the white hat and the guy with the black hat - heroes and villains.

Or take the example of Herman Melville who wrote his book, Moby Dick. Was his goal  to subtly get the reader to see if he or she was self destructing in any way.  That book is mainly about Captain Ahab who kills almost his whole crew. One has to survive to tell the story.

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Does anyone reading Moby Dick see themselves as Ahab - both the guy in 1^st Kings as well as Moby Dick - and try to be a better person?

CONCLUSION

Let me conclude with a few questions.

Name a song that hits home?

Name a story - or a book or a good movie that changed you?  Who were the characters and why do you see yourself in their skin?


* Picture on top:  Death of Jezebel by Gustave Dore

June 19, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“The quickest route 

to failure is success.” 

Arthur Miller, in  

Timebends: A Life, 1987 - 

his autobiography.

I  WANT  WHAT  I  WANT 

WHEN  I  WANT  IT.

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

That’s my take on today’s first reading from the 1^st Book of Kings 21: 1-16.

Ahab wants a piece of property that doesn’t belong to him.

Naboth owns the property.

Ahab wants that piece of property - so he can make it a vegetable garden.

Hey that piece of property  is right next to Ahab’s house.

Naboth tells Ahab that the piece of property is part of his family’s ancestry.

Ahab gets angry - heads for  his bed - angry.  He is so angry he won’t eat food.

Ahab happens to be the king!  His wife happens to be Jezebel.

She asks Ahab her hubby, “Why are you so angry that you won’t  eat?”

He tells Jezebel about Naboth - that he won’t sell him that piece of property he really wants.

He tells Jezebel, “I told him that I would give him a vineyard in exchange for his  piece of property.”

Jezebel says, “A fine ruler over Israel you are.” Then she says, “Get out of  bed. Cheer up. Eat. I will get you the vineyard from Naboth.”

She then comes up with an elaborate plot. She writes letters in Ahab’s name - calling for a fast. She has Naboth up front in a religious fast procession. She gets two scoundrels to accuse Naboth of cursing both God and king. They scream, “Stone him to death.”  They drag Naboth out of the city and stone him to death.

When Jezebel learns that Naboth has been stoned to death, she says to Ahab. “Go take possession of the vineyard!”

And Ahab starts on his way down to the vineyard to take possession of it.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story!

I want to know the end of the story right now.

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

Listen to all the conversations that have exactly that same plot taking place around our world  each day.

I want that driver to get out of the left lane, right now, and get over to the right lane. Uuuuuuuh.

I don’t want that woman dressed the way she is dressed. In church? Horrible. Terrible.

I want that waitress to get over here right now. Where is that hissy hussy?

I want that sermon to be shorter, different, and to cover something I want covered that is in today’s gospel.

I want my children to have their children baptized.

I want that guy to lose at least 95 pounds.

I want my neighbor not to cut his lawn at this time in the morning  - when I want to sleep.

I want that check out lady to move it - to stop talking to the customer three ahead of me - come on lady, do your job. Move it. I don’t have all day.

I want a bigger house - car - a less chewy steak - and no pains in my back.

I want what I want when I want it.

SOUR

Sour is a well made word,

matching its taste when

it’s sour milk - OOOOH!

Worse still when it’s referring

to a bitter, angry complainer

who has become oh, so sour.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

 June 18, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“When you walk  your  talk, people listen.”  

German Proverb