The Homily:
Brother Giuseppe Funeral Mass Homily 240322
Brothers and Sisters and friends and relatives of Brother Giuseppe:
A few weeks after I retired from being Abbot, Brother Giuseppe told me how contented he was that I had resigned. Brother said he always feared that he would die while I was abbot and at his funeral, I would give one of those homily-eulogies which he experienced as embarrassing! He was content now that I was off the scene and he could live in peace.
When Father Elias asked that I give the homily today, I hesitated out of concern for Brother Giuseppe’s personal opinion. I did accept the request to be able to express my gratitude for Giuseppe’s example of monastic living and the generous Gospel service that he gave to all. I suspect that in his eternal dwelling he just shrugged and thought, “typical authorities always doing the exasperating thing”.
There was a certain authority complication in Brother’s history. His father was very strongly opposed to his coming to a monastery. There was the family beer distributing business in Follansbee, West Virgina that needed to be managed. A priest friend surreptitiously brought Brother to the monastery. I don’t think the father ever spoke to the priest again nor did he ever visit Gethsemani! Giuseppe entered the novitiate which was under the direction for Father Louis, Thomas Merton, who on occasion was hesitant concerning Brother’s fasting regime.
Before entering the Community, Brother had been in the US Army during the Korean conflict. Like most soldiers who have been in the front line, they are rather reticent to comment on their experience. Brother took part in the Incheon invasion which was an extremely confused and violent campaign with many fatalities.
As a monk, one could see evidence of a vocation of a traditional Lay Brother. Giuseppe was generous, capable, affable and responsible in his service and not one who hesitated to point out how things could be done differently. He worked in the bakery, kitchen, milking cows, making cheese. And always willing to assist in those many other tasks needing extra hands. The monastery of Our Lady of Joy, a refugee community from Main Land China established on an island in Hong Kong harbor asked for some monks to assist. Brother was encouraged by his superiors to volunteer. He was in the Community of Lantao with two other monks from Gethsemani for three years always wondering if it was an exile. Several years after his sojourn in Hong Kong, I visited the monastery and immediately all the monks had questions about their American friend.
Much to the skepticism of many brothers, Giuseppe was appointed to the Infirmary where he served with a dedication and creativity for twenty-seven years. Brother had a practical skill and a personal concern in caring for each. He was meticulous in following doctor’s orders, patient and gentle in healing infectious sores and scrupulous in his record keeping. He cared for Brother Alban who was totally bed-ridden for years. Though both were surprisingly well-informed regarding sports, the relation had its difficulties. During all the years of Infirmary service, Brother had the honor to receive the deceased and arrange the body in the grave.
The Lay-Brother picture of Giuseppe does not complete the image of Brother. He enjoyed listening to the Bernstein presentation of the Mahler Resurrection Symphony and reading influential philosophers. It was his task to “censor” the newspaper that was available to the Community. Giuseppe used the occasion not only to get the sports news but to cut out the crossword puzzles and copy them to various Brothers who would work to complete them.
Among the few personal things Brother left, was an up-to-date list of his nephews and nieces with their personal dates. Uncle Tony wrote to them for their personal occasions. Brother kept in contact with a niece who was blinded in unfortunate accident. On occasion when she came from California, she always spent some time with Uncle Tony. While I was in Rome, Giuseppe would write with information about a brother’s sickness or death. He had a profound personal concern and interest in his family and his monastic brothers.
Like the words of Saint John in the Second Reading, brother’s life was laid down in the service of others “and by this we know love”. Giuseppe had little concern for his own wellbeing and when the time came for doctors’ visits; he had no interest. He was cooperative, in his own way, with the nurses Julie, the Melissas and Katrina who cared for him.
We all remember Giuseppe praying Vigils daily with us in the choir despite the arthritic awkwardness of getting there and the frustration of poor hearing. Giuseppe was the example of the man “whom the Master finds awake when he comes; truly I say to you the Master will grid himself and have him sit at table, and will come and serve him”.
We have gathered this evening to remember our brother, our uncle, our friend. We are invited to share in the banquet of the Lord’s supper with Giuseppe and learn from his life how to love as Jesus did, how to give one’s life that others may live more fully.