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Scripture:

Romans 6:19-23
Luke 12:49-53

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel reading from St. Luke might make us scratch our heads. Jesus says to his disciples, “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” And he continues, “A father will be divided against his son, and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother.” This passage seems at odds with Jesus the merciful healer and reconciler.

When I taught an introductory philosophy course to high school seniors, I began by telling them that I was there to confuse them. As I looked at their puzzled faces, I was off to a good start!  What I wanted to have happen in that class was to have students re-examine their assumptions and to begin building a coherent life philosophy that underpins living a moral life.

In today’s chaotic and charged public dialogue, we often retreat to those safe groups or cable networks where all my assumptions are affirmed and reinforced. We can’t seem to tolerate others who might challenge our assumptions or biases. Rather than engage in civic and civil conversations, we berate and insult those who disagree with us.

Jesus did not come to simply mess with people’s minds. He came to show us a different way. And for many, it did not make sense, it was confusing. The Gospel of John (6:65) even says that some of the early disciples left to return to their homes because what Jesus was preaching was simply too hard.

So yes, there will be division, there will be differences, there will be discomfort when we listen intently to what Jesus is saying to us. That’s the nature of conversion. All those assumptions we carry might well need to be re-examined. If you want to put all those assumptions back into place, that’s fine. But first Jesus is going to challenge us – even confuse us – to look at our life and the world differently.

Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and was the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Romans 6:12-18
Luke 12:39-48

Reflection:

Over the years I have often been asked whether I have read The Da Vinci Code or The Celestine Prophecy. Part of the popularity, even lure, of this literature, it seems to me, is how so many of us want to be special, that is, to know a secret that others don’t know. Fr. Ron Rolheiser reminds us of the parallel in religious circles; for example, in the history of Christianity we have struggled with Gnosticism (esoteric knowledge, understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge) since the first century. Today it might surface in the over-fascination that some folks have with private revelations of self-acclaimed mystics.

Today’s liturgy pulls us in another direction. Jesus tells us that much will be required of those entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of those persons entrusted with more. Or, as St. Paul says, our bodies are to be weapons for righteousness. Living a rather comfortable and secure life, today’s readings don’t leave me much wiggle room!

And so, I ponder. While we pray today, 80% of Puerto Rico remains without electricity. Or, the United Nations states that the Muslim Rohingya people are one of the most persecuted groups in the world; since 1948, Myanmar security forces have driven them off their land, burned down their mosques and committed widespread looting, arson and rape of Rohingya Muslims. And the crises in Syria, Venezuela, and many other places around the world today also call me to be “a servant of justice”.

In his first letter to the Corinthians (chapter 12), St. Paul said that gifts are given for others, for the common good… not my self-glorification. If the gift doesn’t build up the Body of Christ, it is not of God. That’s a good barometer with which to discern. This is not a matter of fear for not generously using our gifts well; rather, we revel in a sense of gratitude and joy that we are able to give to others.

Fr. Jack Conley, C.P. is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Scripture:

Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Thessalonians 1:1-5b
Matthew 22:15-21

Reflection:

“I have called you by name, giving you a title, though you knew me not. I am the Lord and there is no other, there is no God besides me.” Isaiah 45:4

Growing up is never easy. For us boys, it was always a contest for recognition and acceptance. You were either well known or you were not. You were nameless until someone important called you by name. Anyway, that’s the way it seemed back then.

Once, the P.E. teacher gathered the 8^th classes together for a baseball game. The two “Jocks” were chosen to choose teammates. The good athletes were the first ones taken, of course. Then, there were a handful of us left to be chosen, the ones who were practically invisible and nameless. I was among that group. Finally, I got a “hey you” and put in right field. And all during the game, I kept praying, “don’t hit it my way, don’t hit it my way.”

Ninth inning, one out, and we were winning by one run, two men on, first and second base. Plenty of balls hit to center and left field, and only a couple of grounders to right. Then it happened. A line drive came my way. Instinct took over. I caught it on the run, and threw to first base and caught the runner on his way to second. Double play, inning over, game over and suddenly, everyone knew my name!

God knows us by name. And God calls us by name.

When we become aware that God knows personally and calls us by name, not only do we begin to feel differently, we also begin to act differently. We begin to feel important, valued. We begin to get the sense that we are worthwhile. Having a sense of self-worth, a sense of dignity, we begin to act as if life is truly meaningful, that our lives count.

In the second reading for today’s Mass, Paul the Apostle had to remind the Thessalonians that they had received the Gospel, not only in word but with the power of the Holy Spirit. He reminds them that they were loved by God and were chosen by God to carry out the Gospel in their lives. Life can be overwhelming at times and so we may forget that God loves us, called us into life and called us to live the Gospel as proclaimed by Jesus, God’s Only Son.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us to never forget that we belong to God. Once we become aware that we belong to God, we will not be confused as to what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God. What belongs to Caesar or to this “earthly existence” has no ultimate value. Wealth, fame and good standing are ours by God’s grace. Each of these social conditions bring with them responsibility and stewardship. Our wealth is for us to share with those who are in need, our fame enables us to spread Gospel values, and our social standing is an opportunity to give witness to God’s way of life.

We need to look no further than our present pope, Pope Francis. The vast majority of us did not know him before he was elected Pope. Now, we hear how his simplicity of life is a witness to Gospel values. Is he well off? Yes, he is, but see how he lives. Is he a powerful man? Yes he is, but see how he uses that authority. Does he have a prominent social position? Yes, he does, but see how his humility is the message. We always need to discern what belongs to God and what belongs to Caesar.

Fr. Clemente Barrón, C.P., is a member of Christ the King Community in Citrus Heights, California. 

Feast of St. Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Passionists

Scripture:

Romans 4:1-8
Luke 12:1-7

Reflection:

Today we Passionists celebrate the feast of St. Paul of the Cross, our Holy Founder (1694-1775).  It is a day for remembering this remarkable man and his profound insight into the mystery of God.  Paul Daneo started out as a young man fascinated by the Passion of Jesus Christ.  From his earliest years Paul recognized in the human sufferings of Christ a divine commitment to the human family.  Paul spent his entire life reflecting on the meaning of the love God has for us.  In his early years Paul burned with the desire to participate in the sufferings of Christ in his own person through long hours of prayer, penance, self-discipline, severe poverty and fasting.  He gathered companions to share in this life and threw himself into preaching the great love revealed in the passion and death of Jesus Christ.  In the mature years of his life we witness a man totally absorbed in God’s love and filled with a desire to share that love with everyone he met.  Paul is, indeed, a fascinating man who lives the transforming experience of giving oneself over totally to a God who loves us!

St. Paul of the Cross is clearly a vivid example of the truth of the testimony of St. Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Corinthians.  God’s wisdom and power, revealed in the Passion of His Son, Jesus Christ, is truly beyond human understanding.

Paul Daneo spent his entire life embracing the mystery of Christ Crucified.  The depth of Paul’s compassion and commitment to the people in his life, from the outcasts of the Tuscan Maremma (marshes), to the families he guided, to the church leaders he advised, to the companions he gathered around him to share in his life, inspired them all to an ever-deeper conviction that God loved them beyond their understanding.  The love they experienced in Paul’s reflections on the Crucified Christ enriched their lives and deepened their own commitment to living their lives generously and faithfully.

As we remember the example of this great Saint, we ask God to keep us centered in the love God has for us as revealed in the Passion and Death of His Son.

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is the director of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Romans 3:21-30
Luke 11:47-54

Reflection:

What occasion is there then for boasting? It is ruled out. (Romans 3:27)

The readings for today’s Mass challenge us on several fronts. Jesus directs his remarks to the leaders of the Hebrew faith and Paul writes to the Christian community in Rome. Both say things that no one likes to hear.

As Jesus began to bring Good News to the poor and the abandoned, to cure the sick and the dying and to forgive the sins, he met with great resistance by the majority of the religious leaders of his day.

The religious leaders of his day liked to boast. The liked to build memorials to the prophets that their ancestors had stoned and killed. The liked to revise history to distance themselves from the responsibility of those who went before them, only to do the same thing in their lifetime.

They like to use their knowledge to twist the truth. They build a life and a future on falsehoods.

Jesus came, speaking the truth and went about doing good. This enraged them so much that they plotted against Jesus to put him to death, to silence him, to stop him from doing good. They thought that they had power over Jesus because they thought that they had the power to put someone to death. They boasted in their false righteousness.

Humility is not easily accomplished. Pride wears many disguises. Pride distorts the truth. Pride drives us to boast about things that we never done by ourselves, about achievements that we alone are responsible for and a false future that is not ours to give.

The saints that we honor today, St. John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companion martyrs, overcame their desire to boast, to rely primarily upon their own resources and placed their future into God’s hands. When this lead to their death and martyrdom, then they took their rightful place beside Jesus, the Crucified Lord who rose from the death and the communion of saints.

Thus, let us rule out all boasting in our life!

Fr. Clemente Barrón, C.P. is a member of Christ the King Community in Citrus Heights, California. 

Scripture:

Romans 1:16-25
Luke 11:37-41

Reflection:

Today’s readings offer three important lessons to guide us on our journey to God. The first lesson is that hints of God are all around us. God does not want to be hidden from us or unknowable to us, but longs to be in relationship with us and thus finds multiple ways to communicate with us. God communicates with us most fully through Jesus; however, God also speaks to us through other persons and through creation. As St. Paul testifies in today’s passage from Romans, “ever since the creation of the world” God can be “understood and perceived in what he has made.” If we want to see God, all we have to do is open our eyes.

The second lesson is that human beings are created to give glory, praise, and thanksgiving to God. But it is easy for us to forget this—or not to believe it—and thus to make something other than God the center of our lives. But St. Paul doesn’t mince words: living for something other than God is eminently self-destructive. We think we are wise but in reality we are fools. We think it will be good for us, but when we exchange “the truth of God for a lie,” our lives slowly fall apart.

The third lesson comes to us in Jesus’ blunt assessment of the Pharisees. He chastises them for getting caught up with the wrong things, worrying more about cleansing “the outside of the cup and the dish” than what is going on in their hearts. It’s easy to target the Pharisees, but are we any different? Do we give some things more attention than they deserve? Do we lose sight of what is truly important? As Jesus’ closing words in today’s gospel remind us, what really matters is showing love and justice to the poor. As he said, if we give alms, “everything will be clean for you.”

Paul J. Wadell is Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the extended Passionist family.

Scripture:

Romans 1:1-7
Luke 11:29-32

Reflection:

Whenever we put forth energy on a project, generally we like to see results. Students participating in the meditation classes taught at the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center in Louisville, Kentucky, commit themselves to a daily practice of meditation. Within a short time, they often become frustrated with the unruly disposition of their feeble minds. Their meditation practice can become a tedious exercise and they begin to question the entire process. The question is asked: how will I know if I’m making progress?

It is a reasonable concern. And the simple answer is taken from the Gospel: you will know you if your meditation practice is bearing fruit whenever you encounter the sign of Jonah in your daily life. After being hurled into the sea, rather than drowning, Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish before being spit upon the shore. His sign is the preeminent pattern of death and resurrection.

The students are instructed not to look for results during the meditation period itself. To judge their development by the success or failure of any particulate meditation session is futile and a pursuit rife with ego concerns. Rather, they should look for results in the way they live their daily lives. Whenever they discover a natural inclination to die to themselves and their ego habit patterns of desire, the new life of Spirit is beginning to rise within them. That is the fruit of a daily practice of meditation.

Fr. Joe Mitchell, CP is the director of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center in Louisville, Kentucky. See his website: www.earthandspiritcenter.org.

Scripture:

Isaiah 25:6-10a
Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Matthew 22:1-14

Reflection:

Sometimes when I watch TV, I not only pay attention to the program I’m watching, but also the commercials. Actually, I often speculate as to whom these commercials are targeted. Many people have commented that the commercials on the evening network news seem to be oriented towards older people. I can look at other commercials, and know that they are oriented towards people my age, drumming up nostalgia for us baby boomers. Other commercials are obviously trying to reach a younger demographic for an old established product.

When Jesus tells the parable about a king eventually having his servants bring people off the streets to come to the wedding feast of his son (Matthew 22:1-14), He reminds us that the invitation to the heavenly banquet is not just targeted to a particular demographic, but to everyone. In the parable, the servants gather all the people they can find, “bad and good alike.”

In the parable, the king does this because the invited guests refuse to come. In the parable there are three responses to the invitation. One response is to ignore the invitation. These people went instead to their farm or business. Another response is open hostility. These people mistreat and even kill the servants that the king sends. The third response is coming to the banquet but not being appropriately dressed. If we correspond the invitation to the wedding feast in the parable to the invitation by Jesus to follow Him to the kingdom of heaven, we see all three responses today.

There are places in the world in which there is open hostility to following Christ. There are people still being persecuted, even killed, for the faith. But for most, if not all, the people who will read this, this is not a response we normally see. Instead, we often see the other two. The people in the parable who ignored the invitation and went home to their farm or business are people who see other things, like making a lot of money, or having worldly power, as much more important than sharing God’s love or spreading the Good News. The guest who is not properly dressed does not represent those who we think aren’t dressed right for Mass. The guest who is not wearing a wedding garment represents for me those who say they are Christian but are unwilling to be changed by their faith. Their ideal religion is one that does not demand any conversion of heart.

Do we at times fall into one of these categories? That’s the question this parable presents to us. The invitation is there. It doesn’t matter whether we think we’re too far gone, or we think we don’t have the proper pedigree. God is still calling us and everyone to Himself! Listen to what God promises in our first reading for Sunday from Isaiah (25:6-10a): “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples … On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, … he will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face.” God is telling the Israelites that He will do this for “all peoples!”

So, what is our response? Are we willing to see the kingdom as more important than what the world tells us is important? Are we willing to respond to the love God gives us through Jesus Christ? Are we willing to be changed by our relationship with Jesus? If we worry about what kind and how much of a response we can make, listen to St. Paul in our second reading from Philippians (4:12-14, 19-20): “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” God, in His love not only invites us to the heavenly banquet, but He gives us what we need to respond to the invitation! RSVP today!

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P. is on staff at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan.