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Epiphany of the Lord

Scripture:

Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12

Reflection:

So much of my life has been wondering and looking. Wondering would I finish school; would I land a well-paying job; would I have a horde of children like my parents…? Nearing the end of.my life at 72 years old, I see the world much differently now. All I could see were opportunities in my 20’s and unlike today there were many for a young white man with an education. I pursued a number of them, and then ended up settling for a career in teaching boys ten to fifteen years old who exhibited severe emotional/behavioral problems.

Looking back, I’m not sure who taught whom. Yes, I had the title of teacher, but I often found myself on the learning side of the equation.  My teaching career brought me in touch with children on the margins. While most were above average in intelligence, they didn’t come to school with all the accouterments 20th century America thought were important.  Many didn’t have the right color skin. Many never learned basic social skills and many suffered from abuse and neglect. In short, they didn’t have the gifts I was given.

In today’s scripture readings we read about the Magi, three evidently gifted people in their world, visiting a poor baby who of course, is totally at the mercy of those around him. They bring their gifts and offer them to the baby Jesus. What Matthew doesn’t tell us though, are the gifts that the baby Jesus gave to them. If my experience means anything, the Magi got much more than the baby Jesus.

Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists.  He lives in Chicago. 

Scripture:

1 John 5:5-13
Mark 1:7-11

Reflection:

John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the world. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” I doubt that we would have put John at the top of a list of those who would introduce Jesus. John’s mission was to introduce Jesus as the promised Messiah, the hope of all the ages. But who would have ever thought that God would have chosen a man like John the Baptist for this task? To say that John was “unique” would be an understatement. He was off the charts! He was a “wilderness man,” a man who lived in the desert, wore clothing made of camel’s hair and ate locust and wild honey. His message was not polished, but blunt and rather succinct. “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Yet, this was the man who God had chosen to introduce his Son, the Messiah.

What qualified John the Baptist to be the “first evangelist”? Perhaps it was his humility. St. Thomas wrote, “The virtue of humility consists in keeping oneself within one’s own bounds, not reaching out to things above one, but submitting to one’s superior.” John knew his position in the universe. He was not God. He was not the Messiah. Rather, John was merely a voice, crying in the wilderness; the Messiah was much greater. John did not even consider himself to be worthy to carry the Messiah’s sandals. John baptized with water, but the Messiah’s baptism was far greater.

Because of his humility, John was the best person to introduce Jesus. In Wednesday’s gospel reading, John encouraged two of his own disciples to follow Jesus. John was willing to let go of his own disciples because he knew the ultimate leader was Jesus, not himself.

As we continue our journey into 2017, we pray that we might be able to lead others to Jesus through the humility that let’s Jesus be the Savior. “Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Fr. Don Webber is director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness and resides in Chicago.

Scripture:

1 John 3:11-21
John 1:43-51

Reflection:

If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? 1 John 3:17

Although New Year’s Day was earlier this week, resolutions are still on my mind. The idea that I can set new standards and develop better habits for myself (and carry them out) probably shouldn’t be reserved for one day of the year, even if that’s when there is the most support culturally for it.

In any case, there is great suggestion in our reading today for resolving to do better. In the epistle of John we find a very concrete idea of how we can show love for our sisters and brothers. And lest we’re tempted to interpret “have compassion” as simply feeling sorry for someone, John goes on to say, “let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.”

We find it easy these days to become paralyzed and overwhelmed by the great need we see paraded across the television screen each night as we watch the news. “What can one person do?” we may find ourselves asking. The answer is simple: where ever you are, do good. whether on the street or in our homes, can we resolve to meet each other as sisters and brothers in deed and truth?

If someone asks you for change, don’t fret as to whether it is of greater help to give to them or to a charity. Either give it there and then or don’t. But in either case, engage with them as a fellow child of God trying to make their way through this world. Try to see them in that moment as your sister or brother “in truth.” Ask them how they are doing and listen to the answer.

When we join with family members, we may find ourselves on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Can we love them in deed and truth even if they voted differently than we did? Can we reach out and try to understand, even if we do not agree?

As I move into this year, I pray that I can meet everyone as my sister and brother in Christ.

Talib Huff is a volunteer and presenter at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, California.

Feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Scripture:

1 John 3:7-10
John 1:35-42

 

 Reflection:

“…Come and see…”

Today’s Gospel selection features John the Baptist and two of his disciples meeting Jesus as He walked by – “the Lamb of God”.  This encounter led to Jesus’ invitation to “come and see” where he was staying – and ultimately, those hours with Jesus led Andrew and, later, his brother Simon Peter to lives of discipleship and personal witness to Jesus.

That invitation of Jesus to “come and see” has touched the hearts of countless men and women over the centuries.  One such 18^th Century American woman-disciple is today honored by the Church:  St. Elizabeth Ann Seton…the first American-born saint.

Born in 1774, Elizabeth Ann was reared an Episcopalian.  She married William Seton and helped raise their five children.  She was drawn to the Catholic faith by an Italian Catholic family whom she met while traveling in Italy with her husband.  After her husband’s death from tuberculosis at age 30, Elizabeth Ann freely embraced the Catholic faith – and subsequently opened a parish school in Baltimore to support her family and witness her faith.

Drawn by Elizabeth’s fervor, a group of young women joined Elizabeth Ann in her approach to education and the Christian life.  In 1809 they formed the American Sisters of Charity, following the rule of St. Vincent de Paul; later they help found other schools and orphanages.  By the time of her death on January 4, 1821, the community had expanded their valued ministries as far west as St. Louis.

Elizabeth Ann Seton was called by God to help serve the Church in her day.  As noted in today’s Gospel, Jesus drew disciples to himself and began the Church; Jesus touched the heart of Elizabeth Ann and she joined those early disciples in saying “yes” to Jesus and working tirelessly to build the Church.

“Come and see…” words spoken now to us as we head into the new year 2018.  God continues to invite us to come and see, to share in the life and spirit of St. Paul of the Cross whose birthday in 1694 we celebrated yesterday, and whose special charism motivates us as members of the Passionist family.  May we deepen our relationship with Jesus these new year’s days – and like Andrew and Elizabeth Ann Seton and Paul of the Cross encourage others to “come and see” God’s love gathering us together as Church.  Today may we likewise generously serve our sisters and brothers in their needs and their growth.

Amen!

Fr. John Schork, C.P. is a member of the Passionist community in Chicago, Illinois. 

Scripture:

1 John 2:29-3:6
John 1:29-34

Reflection:

‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ John 1:33

The first time I heard about baptism in the Holy Spirit was when we moved to Chico, California in 1977. I met some people at our new parish who seemed to have a more vibrant faith than I did, and I thought I was a pretty good Catholic! They talked about Jesus like they knew Him. . . I wasn’t even comfortable saying His Name out loud. As I got to know them better, I learned that they had all been baptized in the Holy Spirit, meaning that they simply invited the Holy Spirit they had received at Baptism and Confirmation to work in their lives.

Well, I wanted what they had, so one night I asked the Lord to baptize me in His Holy Spirit too. I invited Him to take over my life as I surrendered to Him. I wanted to get to know Jesus as a person and grow in my faith. No bells or whistles went off, but when I look back, I know that a new chapter in my journey of faith began that night.

The Mass came alive for me after that. The words of the prayers during Mass are incredible! I think it’s the best prayer we can pray. Another thing that happened was that Scripture came alive for me – it wasn’t just an old book of old stories anymore, but through it God was speaking directly to my heart and I couldn’t get enough. I began to notice that the Spirit was nudging me to do and say things, correcting me and bringing certain scriptures to mind when I needed them. After yielding to the Spirit, my faith went from a religion to a relationship with a living, loving Lord.

Scripture tells us the many ways the Holy Spirit can help us, but we often don’t take advantage of it, because we don’t know how. If you’ve never invited the Holy Spirit to be more active in your life, I invite you to do just that as we begin this New Year. Simply tell the Lord you want Him to take over and that you want to surrender to the Holy Spirit. And then get ready for an adventure! Take time to listen, notice and receive all that God wants to do for you and in you. Come Holy Spirit!

Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Bainbridge Island, Washington,  and partner with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 6. Janice also leads women’s retreats and recently published her second book: God IS with Us. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.janicecarleton.com/ or email her at [email protected].

Scripture:

1 John 2:22-28
John 1:19-28

Reflection:

The year is just beginning for us. Until the 31^st of December we might be forgiven for dwelling nostalgically on the ending of the previous year. “How time flies.” “Where did the year go?” “What a year it has been.” On television, we have seen many programs made up of video clips of the year-gone-by.

Yesterday and today, we are quite naturally looking ahead, looking at the promises, prospects and challenges of the year to come.

If at year’s end we were understandably lamenting our failures and our disappointments (continuing warfare, swelling of the refugee camps and the deaths of so many innocent people, the urban violence we experience, the social barriers we continue to justify, if not accept, as the status quo), we start the new year with renewed expectations, renewed hopes and the optimism of people who sense that something new brings with it new opportunities.

Today’s two readings from the Johannine author in today’s lectionary lay down a common foundation for putting our faith into practice this new year. The first reading tells us:

Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.

…what did we hear from the beginning? The gospel of John begins with the words: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The gospel of John tells us that the supreme and eternal work of sanctification and salvation of our world is from the beginning of time. As creatures of a creator and redeemer God, we are born with a heritage already established, to continue the work of redemption that was begun in us by our baptism. If we are nostalgically reluctant to see a year-end, how much more positive should be our turning to the year ahead with the conviction that we can bring God’s redeeming life into even our most distressing conditions?

When John the Baptist appeared on the banks of the Jordan river and called the people to conversion, he knew that God was working to begin something new for his generation. He could not define it, he knew he did not fully understand it, but he knew that God was creating a future through…

the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie

We know who that person is, and we have pledged to follow in his footsteps. As we begin the first days of the new year, let us remember that our God has begun a work in each one of us that can transform us a persons, as a Church community, and as a community of concerned and caring citizens of the world.

Fr. Arthur Carrillo, C.P.  is the director of the Missions for Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Chicago, Illinois. 

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

Scripture:

Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:16-21

Reflection:

A new year begins—what will it bring for us?  None of us can know for sure…  We may have a lot of things on our mind as this year starts to unfold: some may face the anxiety of coping with a serious disease, or the anticipated joy of a family wedding, or concerns about employment with rumors of a plant closing, or, in the spirit of this season, expecting a child to be born in the months ahead. But we also know from experience that some things will face us we cannot predict—some will be joyful events, but other things that may try our spirits.

The Church invites us to begin the year contemplating one of the most beautiful realities of our Christian faith—the astounding conviction that the eternal, transcendent God, the all-powerful Word, took flesh in the womb of a young Jewish woman, Mary of Nazareth.  As the Gospel selection from Luke tells us, this is what the shepherds, among the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus, discover when they go to Bethlehem and find the mother and her child.

No matter how many times we celebrate the Christmas season, the utter daring of the Incarnation strikes us again: The Word made flesh and dwelt among us.  But, not in some otherworldly way—no, in the very human, always touching way, of a young woman bearing a child and giving birth—with all of the earthy beauty and fragility that involves.

The early church in reflecting on Mary’s giving birth to Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, gave to her the paradoxical title: theotokos, a Greek title that literally means, “God-bearer”— “Mother of God.”  Those two realities, under normal circumstances, should not stand together but they do in Christian faith: “mother” and “God,” by definition, God cannot have a parent.  In Matthew’s account of the conception of Jesus—also read during the Christmas season—we hear that one of the names given to Jesus was “Emmanuel”, God-with-us.  This is another way the gospels affirm this fundamental Christian conviction.

So why think about this at the beginning of a New Year?  No matter what this year will bring for us, we can take deep courage and hope from the fact that God will never abandon us.  God is truly “with us.”  We will not walk this year alone.  That is the exuberant spirit we find in the other readings for this first day of the new year.  The beautiful blessing given to the High Priest Aaron from the Book of Numbers: “The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!”

This same spirit is echoed in the responsorial taken from Psalm 67: “May the Lord bless us in his mercy.”  And in the second reading from Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he reminds his Christians that we are not slaves, but children of God, and therefore we are heirs to God: “As proof that you are children of God, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

The deepest wellsprings of our Christian faith give us the courage and hope to accept with serenity the prospect of another year in our lives.

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 Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Scripture:

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 or Genesis 15: 1-6; 21:1-3
Colossians 3:12-21 or Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, 17-19
Luke 2:22-40

Reflection:

Merry Christmas!

Remember Christmas? That was 7 whole days ago! Since then, many of my neighbors have taken down the festive lights in front of their houses. I see trees, once standing in rooms, bedecked with ornaments and angels, now sitting on the curb and waiting for their final ride. And the stores have switched their displays from the red and green items to pink hearts, filled with chocolates.

But through all this, Christ is there.

I guess a lot of water has gone under the bridge since those final strains of “Joy to the World” were sung with gusto at the end of my last Liturgy on Monday. But still, it makes me sad.

But, in all time, Christ is there.

Which is silly! I don’t know why I’m still so amazed and shocked and saddened at how our culture so quickly pushes aside the past. This is nothing new – not for Christmas, or for Halloween, or for our history, or the destructive epic hurricanes or fires or horrific and murderous events and the lives they’ve left buried in the rubble they leave behind. This is nothing out of the ordinary… it happens every single time.

But, even through all this, Christ is there… if only we could recognize him in our midst.

“What did you get for Christmas this year?”

I hear this question a lot right now. The question I like to ask in return is, “Who is it that gave you this wonderful gift?” More often than not, the answer is “My Grandma,” or Mom, or Papa, or sister, or Uncle, or best friend, or… All of these people, our family (including the non-blood kind!), are part of God our Father’s endless Christmas gifts to us, and we are part of His gift to them.

And yes, in each gift, Christ is there.

Today’s Gospel explains how Mary & Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in order to “fulfill all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord.” And if I were a betting man, I’d wager that the Holy Family passed through the multitudes of people in that temple without any of them recognizing them as Mary and Joseph, or Jesus as the Christ – Emmanuel, God With Us.

Except for two people.

First was Simeon, to whom God had promised would not see death until he first saw the Christ, exclaims “Lord, now your servant may go in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation.” And then there was Anna, a widow, who gave thanks to God for the child, the redeemer of Jerusalem.

Through all we experience, are we like the multitudes in the temple, going about our daily lives and ignoring the gift of God in every moment? Or are we like Simeon and Anna, open to the Holy Spirit screaming in our ear, “HEY – HERE I AM!”?

So what’s the true gift this Christmas? Who really is the “Holy Family” in today’s day and age?

“Our Father, who art in Heaven…”

Every one of us, we all are God’s children. God is Father to all of us, and we are all one family to each other. One crazy, silly, funny, upsetting, dysfunctional, loving, peaceful, amazing, Holy Family.

Ultimately, I suppose we do have to clean house after huge events like these. Even still, the members of this, our family, like it or not, become part of our history, woven into the fabric of our being.

So let’s do it together, my sisters and my brothers. Let’s clean up our lives of things we don’t need. Let’s pack up the tinsel with a lackluster shine. The ornaments with their plastic joy. The colored, twinkling, false light. Let’s toss the wrapping paper that once hid the material prize, but not the true gift of Christmas.

Let’s just be sure we don’t pack up Jesus, too.

Our Father, thank you for the gifts of our entire family… especially those whom we don’t like. Please help us know what it is we have that we can give for Christmas. Help us be Your hands, so we may bring our special gifts to those most in need… especially to those whom we don’t like. Amen.

Paul Puccinelli is Director of Liturgy & Music at St. Rita Parish in Sierra Madre, CA, and a member of the Retreat-Team at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center.