ABSALOM,  ABSALOM - 

LEARNINGS,  LEARNINGS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Absalom, Absalom, Learnings, Learnings.”

I’m only going to say some words about today’s first reading from the Second Book of Samuel. [Cf. 2 Samuel 18: 9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30 - 19:3].

The gospel is intriguing as well - with stories about the teenage girl thought dead, but alive, and the woman with the blood problems. But time is a factor….

I got thinking and reading about Absalom last night - thinking about a homily for this morning.

As we heard from this section of the second book of Samuel yesterday, Absalom was one of David’s sons.

He rebels - going to war with his father - as he is trying to take over some of his father’s kingdom.

And David doesn’t know what to do.

David had a lot of conflicts in his life.

We know of his fight with Goliath.

We know of his getting Uriah the Hittite’s wife Bathsheba pregnant - and then tried to figure out a way of having him killed.

We know of his split with Saul - Israel’s first king - how they were early on in a sort of father-son relationship. The story I like is when he sneaks into the camp site of Saul and takes Saul’s spear while he is sleeping. David’s companion, Abishai,  says, “Here’s his spear. Let me pin him to the ground right now.” The next day from a distance David screams across the hill to Saul, “Here’s your spear!”  Hint! Hint! I could have killed you. “I’m sending the spear back to you.”

LECTURE IN NEW YORK

In 1994 I got a 6 month Sabbatical and I took it in New York City.

It was a nice break - no work - no responsibilities.

One day, I noticed in the paper that a Rabbi was giving a talk on David at a synagogue in mid-town.

I signed up. Interesting. It was worth it.

Looking back the key thing I remembered was that the speaker said that those who put together the Jewish Scriptures about David - were  those rabbi’s and writers who favored David used the power of the pen to make David much better than he was in reality.

And that’s one of the Bible texts that we have for today.

The speaker also said, “David was a flawed king - a sinner if there ever was one - but he did a lot of good  for the nation - for the people called the Israelites.

WILLIAM FAULKNER

William Faulkner wrote a novel  - entitled Absalom, Absolom.   It was about a man name Thomas Sutpen.

The novel describles a man who like David who had a tough life - losing his sons. Thomas Sutpen was a bit like David. He led a flawed - self destructive life.

The story takes place in Mississipi - at a  mansion built by Thomas Sutpen. and then his desire for sons.

Here  in today’s first reading Absalom gets caught by the hair in a tree as he’s riding along on a mule.

Joab - one of David’s commanders, who is also connected to the sister of David -comes along and drives three  spikes through the heart of Absalom.

Thomas Sutpin in the novel, Absalom, Absalom, experiences the violent death of his chidlren.

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Where to go with all this?  How to end this homily.

One thought for the day would be the reminder to read not only the Bible but also novels and see what stuff they get us in touch with.

Thomas Sutpen - according to William Faulkner - wanted sons.

What do we do we who don’t have sons?

What do we do, when life doesn’t work out for us as we hope it will?

Thomas Sutpen - once went to the front door of a house - and he was told, “You’re a back door person.”  That one experience triggered a lot of stuff - especially his desire to be rich, an owner of a giant mansion, with slaves and plenty of property.

Is there any life experience that drives us to be the way we are?

This book and his other writings helped him win the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature.

What was a book that grabbed you?

What was a book that got you to look at family?

Faulkner peeled off layer after layer of a person.

Has there been a novel that did that for you?

In reading some reviews and interviews about Absalom, Absalom, I  read that Faulkner presented both a wounded devil as well as a wounded Christ.

Did any book get you to see Christ and the devil in a new way?

CONCLUSION

My conclusion would be: Learn, learn…. and what literature helps you learn.

And P.S. I spotted something very interesting.

Two outstanding American writers were Hemingway and Walkner.

I was taught that Hemingway wrote short sentences. For example, “He shot the dog.” Faulkner on the other hand had great material, but was lazy when it came to writing. I spotted a comment while reading a review of Absalom, Absalom.  The longest sentence in literature is 1,288 words. It can be found in Chapter 6 of the novel. 

Read, read.  Learn, learn.

January 30, 2018 

Thought  for  today: 

“Never  pick  a fight  with anyone who  buys ink by the barrel.” 

Jim Brady, 1981,  in Norman Augustine, Augustine’s Laws, 1986

January 30, 2018

TWO  TYPES  OF  PEOPLE 

Did you ever notice there

are two types of people?

Those who try to get out of things.

They avoid. They never volunteer. They

lower their eyes and fold up their nets.

Then there are  those who raise their hand,

go the extra mile, volunteer, and cast their

nets into the depths of the sea for a catch.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

PROBLEM - SOLUTION:

2000  PIGS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Problem - Solution: 2000 Pigs.”

“Problem-Solution: 2000 Pigs.”

LIFE - 101

A good part of life falls under the title or box called, “Problem-Solution.”

Life has its problems: family problems, work problems, school problems, scheduling problems, time problems, money problems, health problems, anger problems, drinking problem, drug problem, laziness, time problems.

One of life’s learnings is to be able to say to oneself and to another: “I have a problem.”

Old people like me remember the moment on April 13, 1970, at 2:59 PM when Jack Swigert, an astronaut, on Apollo 13, called Houston Control from outer place, “Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here.”

Main B Bus Undervolt was malfunctioning.

In time, it became a hash tag - I always wanted to use that word “hash tag” in a homily - “Houston, we have a problem.”

I've heard people say that many times in the last 47 years, "Houston, we have a problem."

In life, we all need to learn to say, “I have a problem.”

Then name the problem.

We humans mal - meaning bad - function.

Things break. Things go wrong. People go wrong.

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s readings we hear about two people who have problems.

In today’s first reading we hear about David - a shepherd - who becomes the king of Israel.

If you read the Jewish Bible - you’ll read a lot about David - who ends up with a lot of problems.

In today’s first reading we hear about Absalom - on of David’s many sons - who breaks with daddy - and tries to take over the kingdoms David controls.

David had lots of problems - lust problems, family problems, perception problems.

He’s sharp in some ways and dumb in other ways.

He wants what he wants when he wants it. He steals Uriah’s wife - Bathsheba - gets her pregnant - and then has her husband killed.

Polygamy - many wives - causes him lots of trouble.

Here in today’s first reading he has this old guy - Shimei - attacks him in public. The guy is yelling public slurs and nasty comments about David. One of his guards says, “Let me chop his head off.”  

To solve this problem, David basically says, “Ignore him.” Then he says, “I deserve it.”

David was smart enough to know his lifestyle got him into a lot of problems.

In today’s first reading,  we'll hear that Absalom gets killed himself  - for riding too fast on his mule. He gets his hair caught in some overhead tree branches - and Joab is told about this. Joab is the son of Zeruiah, the sister of David. This is all family intrigue here. Joab hearing this moves fast towards Absalom and drives three pikes into Absalom's heart - still alive and still hanging from the tree.

It’s kind of dramatic writing and Bible story telling, but the story teller is telling us, “There are consequences.”

In today’s gospel, there’s this strange character who lived and camped out in a cemetery - amongst the tombs. Mark the gospel story teller, tells us that he often howled and screamed.

If this was Annapolis, everyone would know about this guy - cities know their strange rangers.

Everyone in this Gerasene region of Palestine knew about this guy.

And spotting Jesus he runs to Jesus and yells, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

Jesus seeing his problems tries to heal him by praying, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”

Then Jesus asked the unclean spirit his name and he says, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”

And the unclean spirit, the sickness in this man, asks Jesus to let him alone.

And off to the side there is  a large herd of swine - feeding on the hillside.

And Legion - this large herd of unclean voices plead with Jesus, “Send us into the swine - to the pigs”  - “Let us enter them.”

And Jesus does, and the unclean spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs and they ran down the hill - about 2000 of them - and they ran into the lake and drowned.”

PROBLEM

It’s good psychology, it’s good theology, it’s human experience, for some weird reason, we don’t like to get rid of our problems.

We hold onto our problems - as we fly through the space of our lives.

We could say to ourselves, “Houston, we have a problem.”

The addict, the person with a drinking problem, the person with an eating disorder, the cutter, the cheater, the procrastinator, has the problem for a long time.

We are repeat performers.

We are déjà vu people.

This is Catholic School's week. Now the advantage of Catholic Schools, is that we can hear this in school and church and life.

The person with relationship problems with guys or gals or the person who puts off - or is lazy or cheating problems - will have this voice - this issue for life.

And we all hear that repentance, change, forgiveness, understanding, prayer, grace, faith, hope and charity - can heal us.

We hear that Jesus can drive the 2 or 20 or 2000 pigs within us - can be driven out of us.

CONCLUSION

And like this guy in the gospel, we can become calm, healed and return to our family a new person. Amen.

January 29, 2018 

Thought for today:

“Why waste money  on  psychotherapy 

when you can listen
to the B Minor Mass?”   

Michael Torke

January 29,  2018

CHRISTIANITY  IS  DIFFICULT

Christianity  isn’t  complicated.

Christianity  is  simply difficult.

Take the idea of forgiving 70 x 7 x,

or putting down stones

or turning the other cheek,

or going the extra mile for another,

or the measure you measure with is

the measure you will be measured with.

People know these truths because they

know they will set them free. People know

these truths because people are the heart

of the matter. Christ knew people by 
entering into people. Christ knew people 
by being in communion with them.

Christianity isn’t complicated.

Christianity is simply difficult.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

VOICES!  

LISTENING  TO THE VOICES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B] is, “Voices! Listening to the Voices.”

Today’s 3 readings along with Psalm 95 can be unpacked a bit by considering the theme of voices and listening.

We sang 4 times in the Responsorial Psalm, “If today you hear his voice; harden not your heart.”

So the title of my homily is, “Voices! Listening to the Voices.”

TEDDY MEEHAN

I was stationed 2 times, a total of 14 years - with a wonderful  priest, Father Frank Meehan.  He lived till his 90’s and went through life with the nickname of  “Teddy” because he had buck teeth like Teddy Roosevelt.

He lived and taught in our seminary - a four story building - in Esopus, New York, 15 minutes away from near Kingston, New York. 

Teddy was on the second floor. Well one day I saw him with a glass and an index card at a window sill - trying to do something. I asked him what he was doing. He said he was trying to get a bee into the glass. He said, “This building is 4 stories high. This bee got trapped here at the second floor window. He could fly up to the roof. However, that  would be too high  for him to fly - that is, if he wanted to get to the other side of the building. So, I just carry him across the corridor in this glass and let him out on the other side.”

That's what he was doing. Interesting.

VOICES ARE DIFFERENT

Let me now jump to voices. Like bees - voices are buzzing around us all the time.

Unlike bees however, voices can go right through walls.

There are exceptions. In certain places -  buildings block sound - like those on Church Circle in Annapolis.  If I’m driving home - heading through Church Circle - and I hit the red light - and I have my car radio on - the radio dies when I’m next to the building there across from St. Anne’s.

But most of the time voices come through walls.

In fact, this room is filled with voices right now. I don’t know how many, but if everyone who has a cell phone turned them on right now - we could have lots of voices in this church. So too radios and TV’s or what have you.

Voices are everywhere.

If we were on a bus or a plane or in a restaurant - if we listen, we can hear lots of voices.  

Voices. In this homily my voice is saying to listen up. Listen to the voices. They are everywhere.

PRAYER

Prayer is all about listening.

Prayer is all about God’s voice saying all sorts of things.

God speaks to us in thousands and thousands of ways.

Memories - stories - fill our RAM - our Random Access Memory. 

I remember sitting on our stoop in Brooklyn, years and years ago.  and my nephew Michael is at bat - playing stick ball on the street - and he sees this lady trying to pull her grocery wagon up the steps of her stoop - and he drops the bat - yells to the other kids - “I’ll be right back” and runs and pulls the lady’s wagon up the steps - she opens the door - he pulls it in - and comes flying back - and continues the game.

All the kids saw that act of kindness.

He was doing what Teddy was doing with the bee.

He was doing my favorite Bible text, Galatians 6:2, "Bear one another's burdens and in this way you're fulfilling the law of Christ."

I hear that text all the time when I see someone carrying something heavy.

Everyday all of us can hear the voice of God - saying, "Make life easier for this person." “Listen to this person.”  “Give this person the right of way.”  “This person is crying. Somethings wrong. Give them your ear.”

TEMPTATIONS

Temptations are voices.

They can go, “Hhhm” to us.

For example the temptation to gossip - the temptation to judge - the temptation to make fun of - another.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel this guy has unclean spirits in him.

He yells out that he knows who Jesus is.

This too can happen to us.  That's the good news - if and when we turn to Jesus.

Our problems, our history, our day, can be loaded down with too many ugly voices. If they can get us to cry out to God - then that's good news.  

What a great prayer, "I know who you are and I  need you Jesus Christ."

And hopefully we pause and listen to Jesus pray over us as he says, “Quiet come out of him.”

Today’s gospel can get us to know Christ better.

He wants to make us whole - not divided.

CONVERSATIONS

Today’s second reading gives us a hint about the voices inside every person we meet.

People are filled with voices - anxiety - worries.

Each day at coffee breaks or car pools or  cell phone calls - we can really listen to others and really mean it when we say, “How are you doing?”

However, I don’t know about you, I’m finding myself getting worse and worse as a listener and a conversationalist.

I have so many stories in my 78 year old memory - stories that get triggered by other people’s stories - and I end up not listening to the other.

I have to keep on saying, “Shut up and listen.

CONCLUSION

So the title of my homily is, Listen to the voices.

This week listen to the voices that are our surround sound.