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Scripture:

Romans 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21
Luke 12:35-38

Reflection:

Eternal Life

Todays’ epistle reminds us of our destiny, eternal life.   In today’s world one may wonder how many people really understand this.  The story is told of the famous writer G.K. Chesterton when he was on a train England.  The conductor was coming down the aisle picking up the tickets and came to G.K.  He searched all his pockets and could not find his tickets. Luckily the conductor recognized the famous author.  Oh, we all know who you are.  We know you bought your tickets and you are a bit forgetful about these practical things.  You don’t have to find them.   Oh yes I do have to find them!  I forgot where I am supposed to be going!

We know that in the Scriptures during the ministry of Jesus many Jews were ambivalent about the next life.  Jesus came on very strong about eternal life after death!  The Scriptures have hundreds of references about it.   For us not to be keenly aware of our destiny would be a critical mistake.   In philosophy we know that the final cause is always of greatest importance!

Concern for the next life makes this present existence on earth extremely precious to us!   Without everlasting life our life on earth is truly a throw away existence!   Every second of earthly time is priceless beyond our imagination.  When we die we literally run out of time and step into the eternal now of God!   To forget eternal life would result in a devastating myopia!

The thought of Heaven should give us courage in facing death!   Paul puts it all in a simple way.  “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus” Rom 6:23   Jesus tells us: “everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.  Do you believe this?” John 11:25   I love the SS quote that describes the incredible moment of eternity: “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,  And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Cor 2:9

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Romans 4:13. 16-18
Luke 12:8-12

Reflection:

If Abraham was to be the father of many nations, the members of that large family would need to be like their father.  Chances are all could not do the same things that Abraham was able to do.  Some might be more artistic; some may be carpenters; some good a teaching, etc.  Their oneness with their father Abraham would not depend on doing the same things.  Rather, it would depend on their trusting openness in faith to the free gift of God’s grace falling upon them.  They would all share in the righteousness of Abraham not through works but through faith.

Faith opens and keeps open our hearts to the flow of God’s love.  Jesus tells us that the only sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin that closes the heart to the flow of God’s forgiving grace.

The flow of God’s Spirit within us puts us into an oneness with God.  In times of necessity, we need not worry about what to say or not say.  Because of our intimacy with Jesus, he can speak through us by the Holy Spirit he has given to us and who dwells within our hearts.

Faith makes us a channel through which flows the power and love of God.  Our challenge is to let it flow.  If we try to dam in up and keep it for ourselves, it will become stagnant and a source of death rather than a river of life.  The more we allow it to flow the more it cuts away our sinfulness and resistance and the greater our capacity becomes to channel an even greater abundance of God’s blessings and anointings to others.

Fr. Blaise Czaja, C.P. gives parish missions and retreats.  He is a member of the Passionist Community in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2
Luke 11:15-26

Reflection:

“But if it is by the hand of God that (I) drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come among you.” (v.20). This verse simply takes my breath away! My tendency in reading this Gospel is to feel frustration at those who miss the miracle and seem spiritually blind. I want to ask, what is holding you back? What is the obstacle which prevents you from seeing the Savior of the world before your eyes? I wonder, if I placed myself in this scene, would I experience the kingdom or would I miss it like “some of the crowd?” How would I know?

The opposite of faith is not doubt—doubt can and does exist with faith. In fact, it is good to question, to test everything as we read in the First letter of John, “Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits” … (1 John 4:1). The opposite of faith is certitude, the kind of certitude demonstrated in this text. Here the debate ensues about which spirit is involved in Jesus’ driving out the demon in the mute man.  We have examples of certitude as we observe Jesus’ encounters with some Pharisees. They come off sounding so certain as to what the Messiah would look like and are unable to reconcile that understanding with the person of Jesus. Peter had some of those traits when he decried Jesus fate, “God, forbid, Lord!” This was not his idea of the Messiah either. And Jesus tells him to “Get behind me Satan, you are an obstacle to me. (Matt 16:22-23) Peter’s personal experience of Jesus continued to open his eyes.

As I reflected further, I became conscious of the humanity of Jesus. Do we miss his humanity here? Might he have experienced doubt, sadness, disappointment, deflation, rejection, and frustration at not being able to get through to everyone? Surely these thoughts are possible in his humanity?  Yet, as he spoke from the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34), clearly, he demonstrates his love for humanity. Real love conquers all; real love loves all regardless of the circumstances. Real love has the ability to look at another and see the Imago Dei within them even as they do everything in their power to reject this reality. Real love never fails.

At the beginning of this chapter, Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray and further, he suggests that persistence in prayer and asking for what we want is good. Next, he frees the mute man to do just that. As the Gospel suggests, Jesus is the stronger man and once he heals us, the rest is up to us, to fill that free space with the power of his presence as a safeguard against all future storms.

Lord, Jesus, I ache for your experience of rejection by our humanity, by our fears and by our certitude. Thank you for your freely offered forgiveness. Fill us with the power of your love and set us free. Amen.

Jean Bowler is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California, and a member of the Office of Mission Effectiveness Board of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

1 Timothy 6:13-16
Luke 8:4-15

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear Jesus tell a parable about a sower and the seed he sows in various areas. After He tells the parable, Jesus explains it to His disciples. The seed is the word of God, and the various areas correspond to the various ways in which people respond to God’s words.

What I’d like to focus on is the last category of seed. Jesus says: “But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.” Of course, we are called to embrace the word and bear good fruit. But maybe the perseverance Jesus is talking about is not only perseverance through tough times or, as the first readers of Luke might have understood it, persecution.

Perhaps Jesus is also talking about a perseverance with ourselves. For instance, there may have been times when we may have let the “anxieties and riches and pleasures of life” keep us from embracing God’s word as fully as we would like. But by the grace of God, we don’t need to be stuck among the thorns! God can lift us up out of anxiety. The challenge might be whether we are willing to be lifted up out of being seduced by things that don’t last. If we are willing to come closer to God, and keep striving to bear good fruit, we can do so with trust that God will persevere with us.

May we embrace God’s love in Jesus Christ. May we embrace God’s word and bear good fruit.

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior of the Passionist Community in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Scripture:

1 Timothy 1:15-17
Luke 6:43-49

Reflection:

From the time we were young, we were always taught to act toward others how we would want them to act toward us.  Even if those actions toward us are evil, we are taught to forgive as Jesus did.  As Timothy stated in today’s reading, “Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.”  Even the person with hatred in his heart can, in time, open his heart to accept the grace and goodness of the love Jesus has for us.

In the gospel, Jesus speaks of the goodness or evil in our hearts,  “every tree is known by its own fruit.”  In the goodness of our hearts, we can be the source of goodness toward others.  But, if a person has only evil and hatred in their hearts, they are the source of evil and hatred toward others.   We see the goodness of the actions of others; we want to get to know them because of their goodness.  When we seek out the goodness in others is it our way of seeking Christ?

How is the foundation of our faith?  Is it strong enough to withstand any crisis or storm that seeks to shatter that faith, or will it be completely destroyed?  Can we allow ourselves to be enveloped in God’s grace knowing that his love for us will ultimately save us?  Who in our lives do we need to forgive?

Claire Smith is the Director of Communications for Holy Cross Province in Park Ridge, Illinois.