THE   UGLY  WHISPER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5^th Friday in Lent  is, “The Ugly Whisper.”

The word that jumped out of today’s first reading for me was “whispering”.

Jeremiah – like many a prophet  - was experiencing a whispering campaign against him.

People denounce – announce – his missteps and mistakes to those around town.

We know he ends up in the pits – when he’s thrown in the cistern.

Hence the title and thought of my homily, “The Ugly Whisper.”

And Christ in these readings from John experiences the same whispering campaign against him. “Who do you think you are? God?

Sticks and stones break our bones – and words can really hurt us.

HAS IT HIT YOU YET – THIS PREACHING TO EACH OTHER?

Has it hit you yet, the difference in preaching to each other, compared to preaching to 100 or to the weekday 8 AM Mass group?

I have found myself hesitating a couple of times – whether to say something in a sermon – when it’s just us – just the 5 of us.

Preachers – hopefully - wonder at times - about what impact  something they are thinking about – might have.

When it’s 100 or 15 - then - we can sort of hide – in numbers.  We don’t aim our comments at any one person – because a homily is not a firing squad. It’s a chance to enter into and then out loud - a  reflection – with some folks – and someone might hear something that is challenging and insightful or helpful. This goes especially to the one who is doing the speaking.

The title of my homily is, “The Ugly Whisper.”

None of us want to be an ugly whisperer or find out there are ugly whispers about us – behind our back.

The second sorrowful mystery of the rosary can take place in our corridors or at our tables or in our cars.

PEOPLE!  THE NUMBER 1 TOPIC OF CONVERSATIONS

Right now, the  # 1 topic of conversation is the coronavirus 19 virus.

Throw in the president next – and then the weather – and then food – and sports depending on the community – or Brazil or North East – or an article in the New York Times or a retreat that’s going on – and we have a short list of our conversation topics.

I have said in larger settings – like 100 people – that the #1 topic of conversations is people.

People  - our foibles, our funny characteristics, our  uniqueness – stories about us is life.

Meals could be a boring experience  without talking about people.

There are people in our houses. There are people in our lives.

Morality  gets us  to look at motive as well as impact – so that’s why I added the adjective “Ugly”.  Put downs at another’s expense - how what we say effects another to their face or behind their backs- if we hear or hear about them is the challenge of this homily.

Smiley Blanton or one of those TV talking psychologists once said, “If you say Jack Jones is a nice guy – nobody responds – but if you say Jack Jones is a rotten selfish son of a b, then  the crowd starts throwing their  verbal stones at Jack Jones.

THE MORAL MOMENT OF HESITATION

A key learning for me -  from some sermon by someone - has to do with the inner moment we get a thought – or remember a story – about someone.  We’re in a group and we’re  talking about X Y or Z  – and we have a cute story about him. 

Should I or shouldn’t I? Should I tell it, repeat it or not.  When we have a strong sense of respect for others, there’s  a key moral moment here: I’ll   get a laugh but it will down or not elevate this other guy. When we hold our tongue from voicing that ugly whisper – that we grow in the virtue of respect for others. Amen.

7 SHORT ONE LINERS IN CONCLUSION

It’s  good for us to be together.

 It’s not good to be alone.

When together - conversations about people are fun and enjoyable.

The Golden Rule should be a door stopper: would what I am about to let out of the room my mind be something I would want said of me?

Lighten up.

And if I make the pulpit a bully pulpit – am I avoiding talking to each other in soft chairs – or at our tables with bread and wine in our hands?

When one preaches, say something that will get people thinking – as well as talking and busting the preacher after Mass and at breakfast.

                                      

________________O______________

Painting on top:

"Gossip" by Pol Ledent

April 3, 2020

BIRDS  OF  A  FEATHER

A bird gets hit by a car ….

Sometimes we see them like that -

on the road – Ooooh! And Jesus’ words

are remembered, “Not one of these falls

to the ground  without our Father noticing them.”

But what about the other birds?

Do they wonder where we are?

They used to sing with us, fly with us,

listen to phone calls on the wire with us.

Ooooh! Where are we when we disappear?

Who are they that miss us?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

Drawing was on a card
with the words.
"It's just not the same
without you ..."

Someone sent  that card after 

I left Annapolis.  Nice.

April 3, 2020

Thought  for  Today 

  

“If  you  have a sore throat, be thankful you’re not a  giraffe.”

Sign in front of the First 

United Methodist Church 

in Blissfield, Michigan

April  2,  2020

IF  YOU

If you sing, sing …

If you dance, dance ….

If you play an instrument,

          make it sparkle and make

          people wiggle….

If you clap, clap your hands….

If you know a medical person,

          and all those in backup staffs,

          let them know we appreciate them….

And if you know a researcher into

          the coronavirus  plug and pray for them…

And if you know God, scream at God

          to give us patience so we can gather

          close together once again

          in the great dance called LIFE. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

April  2,  2020 

Thought  for  Today

“Home  alone?  Sing and dance till showtime!” 

 

FATHER   ANTHONY   RUSSO  

REDEMPTORIST 

My classmate, Father Tony Russo, died on Monday evening, March 31, 2020.  No it wasn’t from the Coronavirus 19. 

However, with the quarantine – and lock downs – and stay the stay at home policies – as well as the request to avoid groups and gatherings, Tony’s funeral is put off till July.  At least that’s what I heard. His cremated remains will be brought to Philadelphia in July.

Tony was a saint – and we jokingly liked to say – the only one in our class.

He joined our class for our last year in our minor seminary at St. Mary’s  College, North East, Pennsylvania.

He was a graduate of Virginia Military Institute – and spent some time in the army – as an engineer.

After he got out of the army he got a job for a company which was working on sewer pipes in the city of Philadelphia.

One time there at Sunday Mass, he noticed a handwritten request on a bulletin board: “Looking for someone to drive our nuns here and there.”  I figure the story went something like that.

Well, one of the nuns he was taking to the doctor or somewhere asked him if he ever thought about being a priest. I don’t know what he answered at that moment, but she said, “If you do, think Redemptorists and check it out with the Redemptorists at  St. Peter’s Rectory.”

One day, in dry dirt clothes, he dropped into St. Peter’s Church on Girard Avenue. He asked Brother Hillary – who was at the inside window - if there was a priest he could talk to.  

It was just just after lunch. Brother Hillary went inside the rectory and yelled up the stairs to the second floor. He could hear a couple of Redemptorists talking so he yelled, “Would one of you talk to a bum. He’s looking for a handout.”

Father Joe Oppitz said, “I’ll take it.”

The rest is history. Tony went to a “catch-up seminary” for older vocations – up in Massachusetts – mainly for Latin – and catechism catch up, based on the seminarian religious IQ.

Then he joined us at St. Mary’s – North East Pa.  Years later Tony told me how difficult it was dealing with us younger men – who were still growing up.

[Class picture at St. Mary's -1959 - Tony on top - Center Left]

In 1959-60 we  made our one year novitiate in Ilchester Maryland – as a class of around 21.  We had 4 brother candidates.

After taking our first vows – August 2, 1960,  we went to Mount St. Alphonsus Major Seminary  - upstate New York – on the Hudson  - for 6 more years of  education.

16 of us were ordained priests June 20, 1965.

[First Blessing on Cardinal Spellman who ordained us]

At that time, we were ordained priests one year before finishing our studies – to help with weekend Masses mainly in the Hudson Valley.

Tony had an  engineer's mind - and was a serious student.  He also had a neat quarterback's spiral - being a deadly lefty passer - in touch football.

Near the end of our major seminary days Tony began to experience hearing problems. Those who make these decisions told Tony they would like him to work with Father Stephen Landherr at St. Boniface’s in Philadelphia  - in the deaf ministry - after we finished Esopus.

For a last stretch of training for  few months after the Major Seminary we went to St. Mary’s Annapolis, Maryland.   Tony knew he was going to work with the deaf. The rest of us were hoping for either Brazil, Paraguay or Puerto Rico.

Somewhere around this time, the powers that be said, “We need to leave some young blood for our work in the states, so 5 of us stayed in the States. 

I don’t know how God works, but Tony gets to Philly February 1^st, 1967 and Father Stephen Landherr dies June 14^th  1967.  Tony caught a few tricks from Steve, but obviously he would have wanted a lot more.

I was in New York and New Jersey for my first 9 years – so I’d get to see Tony now and then.

I remember getting a call from Tony about going to an off-Broadway musical, The Fantastics. I thought that was funny Tony going deaf and myself tone deaf when it comes to music.

I can close my eyes and still hear Jerry Orbach singing Try to Remember.

That musical had a long run for 42 years – with 17,162 performances.

Wouldn’t we  all like to have such a run? Tony and I did. Thank You God.

In time Tony  became the go to priest for deaf ministry in the Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Wilmington area.

I don’t know the name of a nun – maybe two – and others who worked with Tony. I hope to see and catch some of their stories at Tony’s funeral in July or so. He trained a lot of people. He wrote 3 books and also came out with a sort of comic   book to help teach our faith to the deaf. He had noticed that deaf kids loved comics.

Tony had a great sense of humor.  He loved a good joke and could tell a good joke.

Tony - as mentioned already - liked football. He could tell us what coaches would be saying on the sidelines - because he was a good lip reader. The Giants beat the Patriots in Superbowl XLII (2007) and again in Superbowl XLVI (2012).  Did Bill Belichick ever wonder if there was a lip reader on the Giants' sidelines?  Of course not! Neither Tony nor the Giants would ever cheat!

I heard a funny story about Tony. A nun he worked with was flying back to Philly – so somehow Tony was asked to bring her home from the airport.   Tony was naïve. He wouldn't  know a Hooters restaurant from a McDonalds. He spotted the Hooters and took her there for lunch – in priestly garb. I’ll be listening to see if I hear that cute story at his funeral in July.

Tony got a short sabbatical break somewhere along the line. He spent a month in Lisieux in France - praying. He had a great love of the Little Flower - St. Therese of Lisieux. 

In Tony's life, sickness arrived – in increments – in last third of his life. He had a persistant ring in his ear – as well as worsening  deafness.

For the last few years Tony had cancer and throat problems big time – making eating very difficult. Last June, I was with him at our rehab and nursing home at Stella Maris, Timonium Maryland.  I was recovering  from a triple by pass of my heart. I had the opportunity almost every evening to sit and talk with Tony for about a half hour.

We caught up on what happened since we were ordained priests.

Thank You, God.

I regret not having him repeat a story I think he once told me. It was about the rubber hose company his dad worked for in New Jersey. There was a suggestion box on the wall and his dad suggested running a hose from a gas transport plane in flight to a smaller plane in flight.

It happened

Back in 2008 Tony published a history of the deaf community in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It’s entitled, In Silent Prayer A History of Ministry with the Deaf  Community in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

If you read that book, you'll hear about Father Stephen Landherr - who worked for 27 years in ministry with the deaf. Obviously, Steve gets much more “press” than Tony who worked that same job replacing Steve for over 50 years.

My hope is that someone just might by accident read these first draft comments about Tony Russo and say, “I could do that. I could follow in the footsteps of these 2 wonderful Redemptorists.

April  1,  2020

THE  FOOL

At first I’d be happy to just touch

the fringe of the crowd around him.

But then,  the more he talked, the

more I wanted to talk to him - just him.

I caught him for a one to one chat-

lucky me – just for about ten minutes.

I asked him, “I was wondering where

you get all your wonderful ideas first?”

He said, “Thanks. Well, I guess from folks

like you. I notice faces – and how people

gleam when they wash each other’s feet

or give the thirsty a glass of cold water.”

I see mothers and fathers who make sure

their kids go first and they go last – folks

who die to themselves so others can rise.

I notice people doing love in so many ways.

It seems to me that those who think others

are fools – still haven’t learned that happiness

and the kingdom of heaven is what the fools

learned is the real secret of how to live.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020