This past weekend the Gospel reading from Luke focused on his version of the Beatitudes. Most are probably familiar with the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew where the longer, more poetic version of the beatitudes is written. In contrast to Matthew, Luke's version is known as the Sermon on the Plain. Not as well known, but not any less important. The opening lines in the homily, following the Gospel reading, was not what one would normally expect. It was a short story about man's (people's) best friend--dogs.
As told last Saturday evening the homily began with something like this story: Their is a puppy and an older dog. The puppy says to the older dog that he finds happiness in his tail, and therefore he is always chasing his tail. He then asks the older dog if he too finds happiness in his tail. The older dog responds, that yes he does find happiness in his tail, and that he always moves on because happiness is right behind.
This story well relates to the Beatitudes, which to me indicates the benefits of service to others. Dogs generally seem to bring happiness to many people. I am not a dog owner, but dogs have a sense about their humans. In two instances of which I know a dog(s) sensed a coming death of their human. During that trying time they were a constant companion. Dogs are, to generalize, in service to their humans. And for many of the dogs it is a service freely given. Service becomes happiness for humans too.
The story in Luke is, well, kinda of downer for those in our technologically advanced age. Today many have information at their fingertips, pretty much all day. Luke indicates that happiness is found in poverty, hunger, weeping, exclusion, and people calling you names. These may well be true in statement, but also allegorical. We all have down times. It is not unlike the old saying of a rose has thorns. The beauty or grace which arises from our trying times provide a situation for us in which we can grow, and adjust. Some of our best stories may result from not so good situations, which in some cases turns out not to be as bad as we thought at the time. They provide us memories and stories.
I just completed reading Disappointment River: Finding and Losing the Northwest Passage, by Brain Castner. In 2016 Castner replicated the journey of Alexander Mackenzie, and Mackenzie's hired French Voyageurs, and accompanying indigenous members to journey by canoe from Hay River, on Slave Lake, Canada to the north ending at Garry Island (which is part of the Deh Cho River delta area; Deh Cho is also known as the Mackenzie River) in the Beaufort Sea, or as reported in the book at latitude 60 degrees 26.5 minutes N, which is about 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Castner, to get in the state of mind for his long journey, read the 1961 work of Sigurd Olson The Lonely Land, which chronicles Olson's paddling through Saskatchewan. He bluntly refers to Olson's prose as "romantic bullshit." He notes that life on the river was "tedious and exhausting to do simple things: eating, sleeping and shitting." He notes that Olson "writing safely in front of his fireplace had confused the memory of the trip with the real thing." Listening to the sermon, Castner's reference to Olson came to mind. Because the difficulties we experience tend to fade and the trials and tribulations experienced can be replaced by better memories--in other words they turn to happiness. Perhaps, that is why Olson's prose romanticized his 1961 journey. Castner was more a realist. In fact, the romantic ideal of a beautiful blue Arctic Ocean he found disappointing in both color and substance, by writing: "We saw open water. Not a sliver of ice anywhere. The ocean was not a shocking polar blue as you imagine from the movies. It was dull, the color of a well worn coffee mug, all the way to the northern horizon." (The horizon, from ground level is about 3 miles distant.) Both Olson and Castner were on their own sort of pilgrimage.
As told last Saturday evening the homily began with something like this story: Their is a puppy and an older dog. The puppy says to the older dog that he finds happiness in his tail, and therefore he is always chasing his tail. He then asks the older dog if he too finds happiness in his tail. The older dog responds, that yes he does find happiness in his tail, and that he always moves on because happiness is right behind.
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| Church of the Beatitudes, on Mount of the Beatitudes Near Capernaum |
The story in Luke is, well, kinda of downer for those in our technologically advanced age. Today many have information at their fingertips, pretty much all day. Luke indicates that happiness is found in poverty, hunger, weeping, exclusion, and people calling you names. These may well be true in statement, but also allegorical. We all have down times. It is not unlike the old saying of a rose has thorns. The beauty or grace which arises from our trying times provide a situation for us in which we can grow, and adjust. Some of our best stories may result from not so good situations, which in some cases turns out not to be as bad as we thought at the time. They provide us memories and stories.
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| View of the Sea of Galilee from Mount of the Beatitudes |
In effect, Olson's paddle through the wilderness of Canada mid 20th century, was probably not a great deal of fun, but he formed different, more romantic memories to convey to his readers while writing from the comfort of his home. Castner is much more blunt of his travels in his prose. Yet, I see both being like that older dog in that happiness was found when the journey was completed, regardless of whether or not a polar blue ice cap was discovered. Castner admits, after having paddled over 1, 125 miles in about one month that he broke down and cried. As the older dog knew, the journey is the adventure and happiness will follow.
Images by author in 2013
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