aadbdstarter

Scripture:

1 Samuel 15:16-23
Mark 2:18-22

Reflection:

Obedience is better than sacrifice
While respecting his traditions and history, Jesus definitely seemed to have a preference for the new over the old. His stories and teaching reveal this again and again.

But what Jesus came to bring into our world was not merely a new teaching or a just new image of God.  He himself is a witness to a new moment in our evolution and his actions enfleshed a new experience of God’s love. His truth is a dual revelation – a new truth about God yes, but also a new truth about us!

Jesus, through his own relationship with the Father, witnessed to new possibilities for all of us to live one’s life fully within God’s loving embrace.

This was good news. It was something new for his world (and for all time). Such a new truth could not be contained within old frameworks, old attitudes or old actions and rituals. Thus in today’s gospel, he speaks of new wine and new patches of cloth not being wasted by trying to place them within old parameters. No! New wine requires a new wine skin and unshrunken cloth needs to be sown only onto a new coat.

What Jesus teaches us about our tendencies is so, so, true! We all have some kind of ‘default’ setting” – a way of acting, speaking, thinking and being that we are comfortable with and take for granted. From time to time a learning experience – a challenge from a partner or colleague or an honest face-to-face moment where a close friend tells us “home truths” that others fear to say – may help us to move to a new understanding and even a new way of acting. But if we are not careful, vigilant and aware, we soon enough slip back into the old ways of acting, thinking and speaking. This cycle can repeat itself again and again all throughout life.

But what Jesus challenges us to is exactly the opposite of this pattern. Thus to embrace all of the new vision – the good news – that he offers, we need to be renewed. We are invited constantly to open our hearts, to listen, to be converted and to make ourselves ready so that we can receive and respond to all that is new and that we are offered in Jesus.

For Jesus, relationship is to be preferred to ritual, and the celebration of life is to be preferred to a somber seriousness that reduces everything to obligation and expectation.

Let us practice listening for the word of God addressed to us today (and each day). Let us practice an awareness, a readiness, a listening stance that makes us receptive to the ‘ever new’ message of God that we know is constantly offered and addressed to us. But let us also practice our responses to that same message – let us be ready and willing to move beyond tired old responses and familiar patterns of behaviour so that we can truly embrace the ‘new’ that offers us the chance to also be renewed!

New wine? Then bring out new wineskins! New cloth? Then fasten on to it only pre-shrunken patches.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is the Provincial Superior of Holy Spirit Province, Australia. 

Scripture:

Isaiah 40:25-31
Matthew 11:28-30

Reflection:

In this second week in Advent, Jesus gives us an invitation to, “Come to me” and find rest. When I picture what this invitation offers, especially during this busy time of preparations for Christmas, it feels like stepping out of the chaos and into Peace. Yet, this rest often seems elusive to me and I wonder if I know what I am looking for?

The rest Jesus is offering according to British spiritual teacher, Caryll Houselander: “Rest is not idleness and is not relaxation; it is a culmination, a fullness of gathered peace, like the fullness and stillness of waters gathered to a flood tide.” Houselander further suggests that like a baby sleeping in its mother’s arms in total trust and abandonment, “rest is a communion of love between them.” (Magnificat: 1/21/15)

These two verses have been likened to the Wisdom literature in the Old Testament (Sirach 51: 23-26). They are nestled in what is labeled as “Israel’s Opposition” where Jesus is particularly challenged by scholars to reconcile both his and his disciples’ behavior with their interpretation of the Law. Just the verse before Jesus speaks in praise of his Father’s will for handing all things over to him. (v.25-27) What strikes me as I ponder the text is whether Jesus himself is feeling burdened by the demands of life—the unnecessary demands of life heaped on by others. Might he be reminding himself of the same truths available to him? We often forget that Jesus was fully human; that is what makes these verses come alive as the chapter ends with this beautiful call of his loving heart bidding all to… Come, rest.

Jesus found his strength in communion with his Father; in aligning his will with his Father. His humility teaches me that I am humus—clay in the hands of the Potter.  We are shaped and molded through our life’s circumstances—our crosses—by our Father who loves us. So, whether you are burdened by circumstances beyond your control, or are burdening yourself—or more correctly, your Ego-self is dictating how things should be, the invitation is always the same; learn from Jesus. Change your frame. In the words of the first reading; “They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will not grow weary…” (Isaiah 40:31)

If we choose, we can find rest in the quiet and stillness of a gathering flood tide—slowly moving into a deep loving communion with Jesus. We will discover that it is not anything we do, it is simply a matter of Grace entering our lives.

“I open my mouth and speak of her: gain, at no cost, wisdom for yourselves. Submit your neck to her yoke, that your mind may accept her teaching. For she is close to those who seek her, and the one who is in earnest finds her.” (Sir 25-26)

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, through your divine love, bring new life into our hearts. 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:

Romans 4:20-25
Luke 12:13-21

Reflection:

When I was moving from Birmingham to Detroit, There was a cartoon in the newspaper that caught my attention. It was a depiction of an elderly man in heaven looking at boxes that were delivered. The many says to another person in heaven: “You can’t take it with you, but nobody said you couldn’t send it ahead.” Such is the temptation to hold onto things.

And so Jesus says in our Gospel reading, in response to someone who is in a dispute with his brother over an inheritance: “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” After that, Jesus tells a parable of a rich person who wanted to hang on to a greater than usual harvest, so he wouldn’t have to worry ever again about having enough. Doesn’t that seem like a reasonable wish? But God in the parable tells the man that he will die that night, and Jesus ends the parable by saying, “Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”

I wonder if greed is not mostly a matter of insecurity. When we get greedy, we never have enough. Enough for what? To be happy? To feel safe and secure? To feel powerful? We can seem to forget that our only security comes from God. Our only happiness is in God. And our only real power is the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. St. Teresa of Avila wrote: “Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone is enough.” And when God is enough for us, we find ourselves able to give of ourselves so that others can have the basic necessities of life.

Our life does not consist of the things we have, but the love God has for us. And even that we cannot keep to ourselves, but is meant for us to share. And no matter how much we share, we will never run out. May we trust in the riches of God.

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

Scripture:

1 Timothy 2:1-8
Luke 7:1-10

Reflection:

…For I am not worthy to have your enter under my roof…but say the word and my [servant] will be healed.

These are familiar words, said every time we celebrate a Eucharistic Liturgy.  When we say those words are they simply ‘rote’ or do we say them with the same honesty, humility and vulnerability that the centurion said them? Do we seek Jesus to bring healing and peace to all that is important and valuable to us?

Today would have been my mother’s birthday.  She died several years ago, six months after being diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer, never having smoked.  I remember her saying, ‘no treatments, just Hospice…I want to live until I die’.  She had a deep and profound belief that with God at her side, (within her in Eucharist), her last days would be filled with life.  Lord, I am not worthy, but only say the word…There were no miracle cures, but there was a peace and a  certain ‘life’ within her.  A sadness and yet a confidence that she would soon see the Lord.

Like the centurion, she knew to turn to Jesus.  I wonder if I would have the same courage and trust.  Can I go beyond my ‘authority’ as the centurion did, and rest in the authority of Jesus.  Maybe the question is do I simply know about Jesus, or am I willing to really know Jesus?

Faith Offman is the Associate Director of Ministry at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit, Michigan.

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Judges 6:11-24a
Matthew 19:23-30

Reflection:

When I read the prophecy by Isaiah, I close my eyes and listen as I come to the verse “…unto us a child is born…”  Close your eyes with me.  Do you hear it?  The beauty of Handel’s composition ringing out with the strength and wonder of the voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir fills the mind and soul.  We have much to reflect on from this verse alone.  The intensity of God’s love strengthens to the moment God sends the Son to be our Savior.

With the marvel of this musical composition as backdrop, perhaps we are able to look more closely at all of our Scriptures today for a reflection on God’s working with humanity for the unfolding of the divine plan for salvation.  Our mind’s eye now focuses upon the various persons we are privileged to walk with in today’s episodes. We have Gideon and his call to be Champion of Israel against the Midianites while in Matthew’s Gospel; we are listening in on a conversation about this motley crew of disciples and their future with the Lord Jesus.  In Isaiah’s prophecy we meet the lowliest of people who walk in darkness who are destined to live in the light of a king descended from David who rose to be King from his position as the least of Jesse’s sons.  Luke permits us to hear the private conversation between Mary and the Angel Gabriel.  Here we find an unknown, simple teenage girl who has been chosen to be the Mother of God.  Mary herself would later pray about God recognizing her in her lowliness.

In every instance, we are invited to understand how God chooses those whom we might consider to be insignificant people to bring the divine plan to fruition.  Gideon understands himself to be the least member of the most insignificant family in Israel.  By God’s choice and design, he is to be the Champion of Israel who will save the nation from the might of Midian.  He is cajoled to set aside his doubts and hesitation, avoid fear and trust in the presence and power of God who is with him.  In the gospel, it is the poor who have a keen sense of the presence and power of God.  The rich will have a more difficult, almost impossible time seeing and responding to their dependence upon the grace and power of God.  The disciples see immediately – He is talking about us, we are poor, we left everything to be with Him.  What will be the result?   They will have eternal life.  These least ones who were last will be first as will all who are least ones.  Isaiah is addressing the least nation who walks and stumbles in the darkness caused by rejection of their covenant life with God.  In Luke’s gospel, we share a special moment with Mary who understands fully who she is and who God is in her life.  She recognizes her need for God’s presence and power in her life every step of the way, even in the midst of questions and wonderings.

Each of these offers us a moment to consider the truth of ourselves before God.  We are nudged into admitting and accepting that we can do little by ourselves.  Rather, we are in need of God’s presence and power in our lives every bit as much as these scriptural companions.  We are encouraged to recognize how genuinely astonishing God’s choices for helpers tend to be.  The most unlikely, the most unexpected person, the one everyone else would pass by is the very one God chooses to bring light, divine energy and design into the world.  I recently heard someone recount his daily walk past a whisker faced, dirty, smelly homeless man who sat under a railroad overpass.  Each day, he would look up, reach out his hand and ask, “Change today?”  After weeks of just passing by, the person suddenly realized he had been ignoring the gospel imperative in his life by making the man invisible to his eyes and untouchable by his heart.  This least one had been chosen by God to make the gospel a living reality in this person’s life.  He learned the call to recognize and honor the dignity of every man and woman.

The moral of our story today?  Firstly, maybe we are least ones ourselves.  Maybe we are being asked to place our lives into the hands of a great God who seeks to further the divine plan through us in a special way.  Secondly, we must all be alert to recognize the least ones who are in our lives or who happen to wander into our lives for a bit.  We just may become privy to the designs of God becoming manifest through them.  Finally, we are invited always to recognize the presence and power of God around us.  We are to listen well to the encouragement we receive in our scriptures today: to Gideon, “…go with strength…I will be with you…”; to the disciples, “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”; to Israel in darkness hoping for light, “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this”; and to Mary, “…for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Fr. Richard Burke, CP, is a member of St. Paul of the Cross Province.  He lives at St. Ann’s Monastery in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Scripture:

Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Matthew 15:21-28

Reflection:

All three readings in today’s Liturgy challenge us to open our minds and move beyond the limits most of us live within…whatever they are!

The presenting issue is “Who does God love?” or “Who has access to God’s loving care?”  The reading from the Prophet Isaiah starts the reflection for us.  He prophesies, “All who keep the Sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, those I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer… for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”  (Isaiah 56: 6-7)  While this openness to all peoples was Isaiah’s vision, it was still not a common understanding among the faith community of Israel.  Seven hundred years later we see Jesus and the early Church still wrestling with this vision!  And, perhaps many of us wrestle with this prophecy today.

Even Jesus, as we see in today’s Gospel story of his encounter with the Canaanite woman, needed to have his eyes opened to a more universal vision of his own mission.  When the Canaanite woman with a suffering daughter calls out to Jesus for help, he doesn’t even respond to her!  But she is so persistent that Jesus’ disciples beg him to send her away because she’s making such a commotion.  Jesus tells her that he didn’t come for her but only for the lost sheep of Israel.  Her witty and spirited response to Jesus’ explanation of her unworthiness won over Jesus heart.  Jesus realized that people needing and seeking mercy were the true lost sheep.  Clearly, a moment of insight for Jesus and a challenge to us.

In the second reading we hear Paul’s anguished hope that all the people of Israel would come to realize that Jesus was the Messiah and believe in him.  One of Paul’s greatest joys was bringing the gentiles into the Church.  One of his deepest sorrows was that so many of his fellow Jews never realized who Jesus was.  A very personal wound that Paul took to the grave.

When we think of God’s love and mercy, are there people we exclude?  The readings today challenge us to take down any barriers we might have put up.  The question is: are we willing to learn as Isaiah, Jesus and Paul did?  May the Holy Spirit help us recognize God’s life in all peoples.

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is a member of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Community, Sierra Madre, California.

Feast of Maximillian Kolbe

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Matthew 17:22-27

Reflection:

Today we celebrate the feast of someone who should be unforgettable, St. Maximillian Kolbe.  Why?  Because what he did was unforgettable.  No, there were no headlines in any newspaper – far from it.  But he gave his life for another prisoner during the horrid times of the Holocaust.  This holy, humble Franciscan friar, who spent his last night of freedom in a Passionist house, offered to be put to certain death in the place of a fellow prisoner who, had he been slain, would never again see his beloved family.  How blessed we are to be able to admire and be in awe of the selfless and sacrificial love of a great man, a truly unforgettable saint of God.

And in our readings today we are once again, as during this past week, following the great journey of Moses, reminded that we are to “…fear the Lord, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord.”

This past Sunday, we were reminded that sometimes the voice of the Lord can be heard only in a whisper.  But the pronouncement of Moses, the great liberator and lawgiver, is far from a barely audible message spoke as if a whisper!  Rather it is a mighty shout, one which St. Maximillian heard and followed very clearly – that we must love the Lord above all else and, in so doing, even be prepared to lay down our life for another.

Fr. Pat Brennan, C.P. is the director of Saint Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Matthew 17:14-20

Reflection:

Saints inspire us for what they do with what they are provided by God. At 29, Jane Francis Fremiot was widowed with 6 children. She experienced an initial depression (!), then through the spiritual direction of St. Francis De Sales, she began to work with women who were attracted to religious life, but not the austere kind of that age. She founded the Congregation of the Visitation and when she died at the age of 69 she had established about 85 monasteries.

I use the word “intentionality” quite a bit to describe the “engaged” Christian life. No matter what is happening in one’s life at the moment, there is an inner balance maintained by staying focused on “who I am” and “why I am” and, “where I am going.”

Frivolous stuff can distract me like comparisons with so and so, or how I can or want my significant other or a religious brother or sister or even a friend to change accord to what “I want now.”

We have in the Word today the essential core stuff to pay attention to the voice of God, with heart, soul, and will.

There is a dual reality going on in our lives and it is a matter of being open to and relying upon the grace to know how to respond. We can look to Jesus to understand this dual reality. Jesus has just experienced a transcendent revelation of God’s love within him, in order to prepare for the fulfillment of the two Old Testament icons of God’s Plan for Salvation moving forward. Jesus avoids the distracting fanfare, and fuss, and fear of the disciples and moves on to face into the reality of the world for which Christ will sacrifice everything for its’s salvation.

He would meet the embodiment of the result of a world ruling itself in the person of an epileptic man, possessed by a demon!

This is where the duality of the “sacred” inside of him, and the “scared” surrounding him would meet head-on.

Through intentionality he was able to balance the “ecstasy of the Transfiguration” with the extreme, sad dilemma of the world, in the person of this possessed man. And Jesus responds relying on the power of His Father within him.

Intentionality is faith in action, intentionality is the risk to love with total dependence on the love that sustains the world (though totally unrecognized and disregarded). This is the love that flows from the Cross in the face of all suffering.

So the disciples could not deal with the duality. “Why could we not cast out that demon?” Jesus calls it “little faith.” I surmise he was describing something less than the mustard seed size of faith. There was not the focus on the interior life of God coupled with the will to act in love and risk.

Let us pray for that interior intentionality, today and the willingness to act upon it in risky, loving actions, “for nothing will be impossible for you.”

Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P., is a member of the Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan.