Archives for May 2022

Scripture:

Acts 20:28-38
John 17:11-19

Reflection:

Today the church celebrates the memory of St. Justin, one of the earliest and best-known martyrs of the Roman Church who lived in the second century A.D.  A philosopher and theologian, he poured out his life in pastoral service and then gave the ultimate gift of love—his very life in testimony to the truth of the gospel.

The readings for this day stand in harmony with Justin’s spirit.  The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles is the famous scene of Paul’s farewell to the elders of the church at Ephesus.  Paul was returning for the last time to Jerusalem and there he would be arrested, held in prison at Caesarea Maritima for two years, and eventually taken on a prison ship to Rome where Paul would himself become a martyr.  Paul and his friends did not know all these details when he met them at Miletus (a promontory south of Ephesus) but he—and they—had a premonition that this would be an ultimate farewell.

Paul testifies that he gave his all for his beloved Christians and they, in turn, lavished their loving gratitude on him.  The scene ends poignantly as they “throw their arms around Paul and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again.”

The gospel selection from Jesus’ farewell discourse in John’s Gospel has a similar mood.  Jesus, too, on the eve of his passion, is aware that he will be leaving his disciples and so prays earnestly to the Father to protect them from harm.   A key departing gift is that Jesus empowers his disciples with the same mission of revealing God’s love for the world that had been entrusted to Jesus himself by his Father: “As you sent me into the world, so I send them into the world.”  This commission would be repeated by the Risen Jesus when he appears to his frightened disciples gathered in Jerusalem. He “breathes the Spirit” upon them and sends them into the world just as Christ himself was sent.

The reader of John’s Gospel knows that the evangelist had earlier succinctly described the ultimate mission of Jesus: God sent his son in to the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17).

When all is said and done, in the commitment of martyrs like Justin and in the words of the Gospel, we know that the Christian mission to the world is a message of love—loved preached and love embodied.  In a world so fractured by violence and division, the gospel message is more compelling than ever before.

Fr. Donald Senior, C.P. is President Emeritus and Professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological Union.  He lives at the Passionist residence in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.

The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3:14-18a or
Romans 12:9-16
Luke 1:39-56

Reflection:

Happy Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

In today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:39-56), Mary, after hearing the news from the angel that she would give birth to the Messiah, traveled “in haste” from Nazareth to the house of her cousin Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, which was in a village in the hill country of Judea. When Mary arrived, she found her elderly cousin also pregnant.  Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary, “filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

In 1987, I was a senior in high school and on retreat with my classmates in the hills above Malibu Beach, California. Wow, what a tough area for a teen to have to go on retreat!  Truly, it was a great weekend, though.  We discussed God and how he related to us as young men in the world, and as we played games and ate good food, and really had nothing to worry about.

Until it was time to prepare to receive the Holy Eucharist.

We were told to go to confession before mass. All the while standing in line I was thinking, “Let’s see… I can’t tell him that or that, oooh, and certainly not that!” I was so embarrassed of the things I’d done. I just couldn’t tell anyone… but especially not a priest! I was so ashamed of so very much, the least of which was that this was the first time I’d be going to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation through all of high-school.

Well, I finally went in.  I was honest and embarrassed, but the priest didn’t seem surprised or put off by anything I said.  He gave me my penance, which consisted of one Our Father and 3 Hail Marys, and then to think about what I’d done.  I diligently prayed those prayers, thought about what I’d done, and then I thought something else:

 “Confession is silly. 
I don’t need a middleman.
I’m just going to tell God directly.
That’ll be good enough.”

I’ll bet I’m not alone in that thought…  And I’ll bet I’m not alone in admitting that, at the time, I didn’t realize how so very silly that statement really was.

Fast-forward about 25 years, and I had not been to confession since that retreat.  But I’d grown incredibly weary of trying to ignore God’s call to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And I was so broken I didn’t think anyone could put me back together again. But, friends, let me tell you something – I mustered up all my courage and went.

I was in the confessional for what seemed like a half-hour, and when it was done I went to perform my penance.  This time it was also one Our Father, and three Hail Marys, but I was directed to go and sit with the Blessed Sacrament, quietly, and ponder the words to those prayers as I offered them.  I’d prayed them so many times, though! What new things could there be for me to think about? 

Well, at that moment, I became the silly one…

Here are the three parts of the Lord’s Prayer that stung me most.

“Our Father…”                                    This means that everyone is my sister or brother.
                                                            Even that beggar on the freeway off-ramp and
                                                            the thief that stole my identity.

“Thy will be done…”                This means I must let go of my agenda and embrace
                                                            what God wants.  But I want what I want!

“Forgive us our trespasses,     ”Uh-oh. So, I’m telling God that I expect to be
as we   forgive those                           forgiven, but *only* to the extent to which I’m willing

who trespass against us.”                   to forgive that person that hit me? The person who
                                                            lied? Or stole from me? Betrayed me… destroyed me
                                                            to my core?

Pretty big thoughts. 

But it was in my reflecting on the Ave Maria – the Hail Mary – the simple prayer to our Mother of Sorrows, the Mater Dolorosa, that hit me most deeply.

“Hail, Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb – Jesus.

Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us,
sinners,
now,
and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Which part of that prayer, first uttered by St. Elizabeth, stands out most to you?  For me, it was these two lines: “The Lord is with thee.  Pray for us, sinners.”

We, sinners, who need all the help we can get, have it — if only we would ask. 

That day, this prayer we read about on the beautiful Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary reminded me that I’m not alone, even if I feel like I am, even if I want to be.  If only I would just tear down my walls and open my heart, I’d have the space for  God, my Father, Jesus, my Brother, the Holy Spirit, my very breath.

Well, after I pondered all this, and more, I experienced the most amazing thing… Friends, there is nothing I’ve felt more powerfully than when I’ve received Jesus during communion after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The intimate and powerful meeting with God is amplified so deeply when we acknowledge our failings and our brokenness, and then get to actually hear someone tell us, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The peace and lightness are palpable, and staggering.

Now I hit the confessional pretty regularly… and boy do I need it.  And the Ave Maria is one of my favorite prayers.  But perhaps when I next pray the beautiful Hail Mary I’ll be reminded that she’s waiting to visit me, to help me, to ask God to be with me when I’m most in need. 

Like right now. 
And tomorrow. 
And at the hour of my death. Amen.

Peace and love to you, today and forever.

Paul Puccinelli is Director of Liturgy & Music at St. Rita Parish in Sierra Madre, California, and a member of the retreat team at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center.

Scripture:

Acts 19:1-8
John 16:29-33

Reflection:

Jesus said, “Take courage: I have conquered the world.”  As I continue to reflect on my daily struggles, my decisions and events in my own life, I can now appreciate what he did for me – for all of us – as he suffered through his Passion and arose in the Resurrection. 

In this world of political and social unrest, of faith being abandoned, when the sanctity of marriage and parenthood is under attack, we must remember Jesus’ words – take courage, I have conquered the world. He says he has conquered the world, and he did it for us – as soon as his body was hung from the cross and he took his last breath, this is the moment he conquers the world for every one of us. 

Those of us who have worked in retreat venues know about coming down from the mountain. The excitement and “Holy Spirit” moments begin to fade with time, and you may find yourself slipping back into the way things were before the retreat. But this is another opportunity to look past what is bringing you away from the mountaintop, to stand apart from those things that remove you from that special place, and to remember what Jesus did for us so we could sustain that mountaintop experience!

We can lose courage when we fail; we allow our weaknesses to dominate our thoughts and ideas; we allow the evil one to influence us, intrigue us, tempt us to feel less than what we really are. Jesus sacrificed the ultimate for us –  he gave himself –  for us. This is when we need to remind ourselves that he conquered the world for us, long ago. 

Patty Masson supports the Passionists from Spring, Texas.

Scripture:

Acts 1:1–11
Ephesians 1:17-23
Luke 24:46-53

Reflection:     

                “They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy,                
and they were continually in the temple praising God.” -Luke 24:53

The Ascension of Christ marks the end of his time with the Apostles on earth and his triumph over Satan. Christ takes his place in heaven where he will soon send the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. The last line of the Gospel of Luke, which is quoted above, has the Apostles celebrating, praising God. Sounds like they finally understand what Christ has been trying to teach them. It is also a reminder that the Easter joy is not over.

The Gospel of Luke begins and ends in the Temple. This was a sacred place for the Jewish people during Christ’s presence on earth. It housed the Holy of Holies, the place where the Ark of the Covenant was and only the High priest could enter. This place was where they could be closest to God. This was the place where heaven and earth met, the axis mundi. What other place would the Apostles celebrate what they had just experienced?

Today we have the Eucharist, the presence of Christ! Why would we not be filled with joy and praise God?

The Ascension also mirrors the Transfiguration only this time he shows his glory to all of the Apostles. Why wouldn’t they be happy? All was revealed to them. Seeing God’s son ascend into heaven must of given them great hope in all that he taught them.

We too need to be aware of the hope we have in the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. The messages have been clear this past week as sections of John 15 were given to us. “Do not be afraid”; “I am sending the Advocate” “You are the vine and my father is the vine grower . . “

Today we have access to the Holy Spirit through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation,
again, why would we not celebrate?

We are an Easter people! Why not continue to praise God and celebrate?

Linda Schork is a theology teacher at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 18:23-28
John 16:23b-28

Reflection:

Apollos was a Jew, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker and an authority on the Scriptures.  We are told he had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus. Wow, he sounds like a person we could all benefit from knowing.

There is something even more important about Apollos that could make us be more successful in spreading the message of Jesus Christ if we follow his example. Apollos was well educated and successful in his preaching and teaching, nevertheless, he was open to learning from those more experienced than himself.  When Priscilla and Aquilla took him aside to offer advice he was grateful and saw it as a learning experience.  When the brothers opened a pathway for him to continue to spread the good news of Jesus the Christ, he was excited to expand his travels and was highly successful in bringing more followers into the fold.

Jesus reminds us in the gospel today of the importance of being willing to ask God for what we need.  Sometimes we do this in prayer, other times we are called to listen to the people that God places in our lives. Oftentimes these are the people we call family, friend, teacher, pastor, spiritual director, etc.  They support, challenge, teach and love us into the person we are called to be.  We don’t often want to ask direction, to be challenged, or to ask advice of others, because in our humanness we may think we know it all.  Sometimes the degrees we proudly earn become the beacon for our success and give us a false sense of security, sending a message to others that we have all the answers.

 When I reflect back on my forty plus years I have spent in serving God’s people as a pastoral minister, I know my success in pastoring and mentoring has been due in large part to all of those pastors, colleagues, teachers, parents, students and so many others who mentored me and taught me that it was okay not to have all the answers, and even more importantly, to listen to those who have walked the path before me.  I earned my degrees through hard work and a few sleepless nights, and I am proud of those experiences, but the best teachers have been those I met on the road, the ordinary folks who invited me into their homes, hospital rooms, classrooms, sanctuaries, soup kitchens, justice marches.

I asked God for what I thought I wanted, and God has always given me what I needed!  Apollos was a faithful disciple of Jesus along with the sisters and brothers throughout the early church. They all enjoyed tremendous success in building up the early Christian communities because they were open to listening to one another and keeping an open mind and a loving heart before them always.  We would do well to do the same!  Amen!

Theresa Secord recently retired as a Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 18:9-18
John 16:20-23

Reflection:

As I read the gospel of John today, I think of my own life experiences. When we suffer grief, maybe the loss of a loved one or some other devastating change in our life, we may be in the depths of pain, but the rest of the world goes on, unknowing of what we have experienced. As women who give birth to a child, that pain and anguish can be horrible – in the moment. And then, as your newborn baby is placed in your arms moments later, you almost immediately forget the pain you had just experienced, because it is replaced with a joy that you never fathomed. 

Now, think of the day we may see Jesus face to face. This joy of Jesus’ presence is immeasurable compared to any other joy we may experience in our lifetime. All of our suffering, all of our heartache – will all be replaced with the joy of His presence. We will no longer be alone; we will no longer doubt or question what the Father has in store for us. All of those things we consider the mysteries of our faith will no longer exist for us. When all of that happens, we will know unending joy.

As we wait to see our Jesus face to face, let’s continue to work on our trust in God. Ensure that your relationship with him is solid and steadfast. Always remember his words, I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

Patty Masson supports the Passionists from Spring, Texas.

Scripture:

Acts18:1-8
John 16:16-20

Reflection:

You will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.  -John 16:20

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, this scripture verse was most relevant.  News broadcasts gave us the latest statistics regarding how many people are suffering Covid-19, the number who have died, the number of unemployed and the number of hunger-sensitive people. There is still a lot of pain and suffering and yet today’s gospel states that our pain and grief will become joy as part of our human condition.

The famed poet Kahil Gibran wrote of this interrelationship between sorrow and joy.  “Sorrow carves a container for joy…When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.  When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delights.” (Kahil Gibran  on Joy and Sorrow, http://www.katsandogz.com/gibran/onjoy.php)

What are we to do when we experience grief and pain?  Sorrow and pain ought to bring us closer to God and each other.  Today, as we experience pain and loss in the world let us stop and pray.  Let us pray and make it a time of noticing the good in everything so that our “grief will become joy”.  (Irish Jesuits, Sacred Space, https://www.sacredspace.ie/scripture/john-1616-20)

Carl Middleton is a theologian/ethicist and a member of the Passionist Family.