October  6, 2019

Thought for today: 

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” 

Groucho Marx

OCTOBER 5: THE FEAST OF BLESSED 

FRANCIS XAVIER SEELOS, REDEMPTORIST 

Today - October 5^th -  is the feast of a not well known Redemptorist priest, Francis Xavier Seelos.  He was beatified by Saint Pope John Paul II in April of 2000.

I’d like to say a few words about him today - for my sermon - a sermon being  different than a homily - a homily centers on the scripture readings.

Father Francis Xavier Seelos died October 4, 1867 in New Orleans - of yellow fever - at the age of 48. Since October 4^th is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi - Seelos’  feast was put on this next day, October  5^th.

I know of him because like Father John McGowan and Father Bill Gaffney - who often said Mass here in Rumson - we are Redemptorists like Father Seelos.

I know of him because for the past 17 years I was in a Redemptorist parish in Annapolis,  Maryland - and Father Seelos worked in our parish down there in the mid 1800’s.

Father Seelos was born in Fussen, Germany and before being ordained a priest he joined the Redemptorists in order to come to the United States in 1843 as a missionary - for the Germans - who had a shortage of priests hrtr in the USA. He was ordained in our parish of St. James in Baltimore.

He preached  and did some work in  Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Maryland, and New Orleans.

He worked for 9 years in Pittsburgh and was proposed as a possible bishop for Pittsburgh. He didn’t want that.

He worked with and was trained by St. John Neumann another Redemptorist.

He was known for the priest to go to for confession.

He was known for his smile and his sense of humor and his telling of jokes.

He had problems with another priest, a Redemptorist, Father Michael Mueller who was ultra-strict and ultra-tough and ultra-serious. Mueller  was known  around the United States as the Catholic Priest who said there was no salvation for anyone who was not a Catholic. “How to win friends ….”

Mueller didn’t like the way Seelos was with our seminarians - complaining that he wasn’t strict enough, etc. et. etc.

Mueller and Seelos were stationed in the same parish I just came from: St. Mary’s Annapolis. In the tiny vestibule that leads out of the church,  there is a marble plaque recognizing the first pastor of our parish there: Father Michael Miller.  You wouldn’t notice it - unless it was pointed out.

In our prayer garden at St. Mary’s - there is a nice metal park bench which has a statue on it - Father Seelos just sitting there on the bench. With the statue, it seats three.  Looking back on my 17 years in Annapolis, every day that had decent weather there would be someone sitting snug next into Father Seelos - maybe because we told  people to sit there and talk to him and surprise he’ll hear your confession.

After a year as an associate in our parish in Detroit, he was made pastor in our church in New Orleans and lasted 14 months - dying from Yellow Fever - taking care of the sick.

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos - pray for us. Amen.

CRUMBLED 
BEHIND  CLOSED  DOORS -
HEY!  YOU  NEVER  KNOW 

She left him – but before leaving –

she left him a letter - placing it -

on the kitchen table – where he

would see it when he got home.

It was a letter addressed to  "YOU” - 

written with a Sharpie Fine Point Pen -

Permanent Marker - with no name - 
just “YOU” on the clean white envelope.

It was on the kitchen table, the sacred 

place where they shared 10,000  words,

along with bread, wine, spaghetti,

laughter and  love over and over again.

He would surely see the letter on the

table  - when he came home  - late -

late as usual - late – too, too late

in the last night of their marriage.

He picked it up - read it - and then

crumbled it in his fist. He banged

the table, tightened his eyes - then

with tears - he uncrumbled the letter.

He read the letter once again. Numb ….

Dumb …. Stunned …. He crumbled

himself - once again –  as he flung

himself into the garbage pail - crumbled.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  5, 2019 - Thought for today:

“If  the  Americans were as expert in spiritual matters as they are in business affairs, all of them would be saints.” 

F.X. Seelos

October 4, 2019

THE ROAD  HOME

I suppose - in time -

everyone knows their roads:

the road not taken,

the road  with regrets,

the yellow brick road,

the road to Phoenix,

the hit the road Jack

and don’t come back, Jack,

the road to Kingdom come,

the road from Jerusalem to Jericho,

the road to Calvary,

the road to Emmaus,

the road back home.

I suppose - in time -

everyone wonders what to do:

stop biting their nails,

stop sucking their thumb,

stop going around in circles,

stop feeling being sick and tired,

wanting to go somewhere,

wanting to get moving again,

wanting to get on the road hoping,

wanting to see ahead and see

smoke rising from our home chimney,

and to see my dad standing at the mailbox,

looking for me walking back down the road.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

October  4, 2019

Thought for today: 

“It doesn’t fit, when one is in God’s service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.”  

St. Francis of Assisi

IN  25  WORDS  OR  LESS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 26^th Thursday in Ordinary Time  is: “In 25 Words or Less?”

We’ve all have heard the question: “Can you tell me what you’re trying to say in 25 words or less?”

For starters - that usually causes pause - or hesitation.

TODAY’S TWO READINGS

I got the thought for this homily from today’s two readings.

In the first reading Ezra the priest  - as today’s reading from Nehemiah  8: 3  puts it, - is “Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak until midday….”

That’s a lot of words and that’s a lot of time.

As preacher I have seen at least a hundred times the watch looking gesture and signal.  “Wrap it up.” “Hurry it up.”  “Enough already!”

Did anybody do that to Ezra that day - when the reading went from daybreak till midday?  Oops they didn’t have watches.

In today’s gospel Jesus disciples are to give a message. It’s 4 words: “Peace to this household.” [Luke 10:5.]

In both readings the next thing that happens is to eat and drink.

There’s the Mass in short form: words and food.

That’s our every day: words and food.

Isn’t that what we do every day: in the daily mass called our household? We eat and we talk. We chat and chew.

5  BRIEF POINTS

ONE: ABRAHAM LINCOLN

On November 19, 1863, two men gave an address at Gettysburg Pennsylvania Cemetery.  Edward Everett gave a talk that had 13,687 words in it. It took about 2 hours.  He was followed by Abraham Lincoln who gave a 272 word talk.

TWO: SERMON LENGTH

What’s your opinion on sermon length? For a Sunday sermon? For a  Weekday sermon?

THREE: RELATIVITY OF TIME

As Einstein put it, time is relative. How long a minute takes depends upon what side of the bathroom door you’re on.  How long a sermon takes depends upon who’s speaking.  There’s actual time and “feeling time”.

FOUR: LEARNING FROM TV

Back in the late 1960’s at a New York priest’s  meeting someone asked for volunteers to give 2 religious  talks for WPIX - Channel 11. One was to begin the day; the other to end the day. They were to be exactly 3 minutes. The first was at 5:27 AM till 5:30 AM and the second was from 1:30 AM till 1:33 AM. It took me 3 times each time to be exactly  3 minutes.  Good learning.

FIVE: LEGACY

At the Water Gate Ezra - speaking for the future of the community - goes for a few hours. Could you spell out in 25 words or less your legacy - what you see is the meaning and purpose of life or what have you?

CONCLUSION

This sermon took 3 minutes and 30 seconds and was 499  words exactly. How long did it feel? Did I say anything that had a grab?