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Scripture:

Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30
Matthew 10:16-23

Reflection:

I am always struck by the number of people in the Old and New Testament who respond so decisively to the call of the Lord.  In today’s first reading we hear, “Jacob, Jacob.”  “Here I am Lord”.  “Go down to Egypt.”  And off he goes.  Same with Abraham, same with Simon Peter and the apostles, same in the most complete way with Mary.

Is it the same today?  We see it for sure with men and women who respond to the call to priesthood and religious life. We see it in the lives of the saints of our time like Mother Theresa.  But what about me?  Would I respond with such a resounding yes?  I wonder.  Am I too entrenched and too comfortable in my life?  Is there a tendency to think these sort of radical calls are for others and not me?  Then again is my life so busy I might not even hear the call?

Are these big life-changing calls the only way Our Lord calls us?  Doesn’t He also call us in little ways?  He calls on us daily to love, to forgive, to listen, to lend a hand.  I think of a time in my own life when in the course of a very short time I was “called” or “challenged” by two different priests to pray more, to take prayer more seriously in my life. I set out to do that, to say yes, to make prayer a more intentional and certain part of each day.   My life has not been the same since. My relationship with the Lord is so much deeper and real.

Isn’t that the way He works in most of our lives?  Calls us to the smaller things, helps us in our efforts when we say yes, and builds our foundation of faith and trust that if or when a larger call, or bigger challenge comes our way we are better able to hear and say yes to the Lord.

We may not know much about Jacob or the apostles before the Lord called them, but my guess is the Lord had been working in their lives preparing them before their “big call” to serve Him.  Might that then be our real call, to say yes in every opportunity and way we are called as disciples of Jesus Christ and as Catholics, and thus be more prepared for the ways that Our Lord may call on us to serve Him?

Steve Walsh is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, and a good friend of the Passionist Community

Scripture:

Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a
Matthew 10:1-7

Reflection:

When I read over Jesus’ summoning the twelve and giving them authority to expel unclean spirits and to cure sickness and disease of every kind, it struck me that the very power to proclaim such a bold mission was actually in the wake of the greatest events the world has ever and will ever known, namely, The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He could announce that the reign of God is at hand, because His obedience to the Father ushered in the Age of Redemption and full access to Eternal Life. So what am I waiting for? Am I taking full advantage of the graces that flow from the Paschal Mystery?

In the Egyptian world of Joseph’s time the country was able to provide enough food to provide for the inhabitants of most of the known world. In fact in God’s Kingdom the world produce was to be shared with each person. Later in history there would come a time when the kingdom of Israel was to deny this right of sharing in world resources.  Justice was violated. In the words of one commentator, “when the poor are neglected, then prosperous people have to worship gods other than Yahweh.” The prophets would raise their voices to express God’s anger and the despair of God’s neglected people.   That prophecy continues today in the face of massive world-wide, unwelcome and often, cruel treatment of immigrants forced to leave their homelands only to find additional poverty and abuse in the areas of the world in which they find themselves. At least, we can educate ourselves, locally, as to what is happening to our brothers and sisters who have been forced to resettle in the midst of hostility. And we can raise the consciousness of others.

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

Scripture:

Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29
Matthew 9:14-17

Reflection:

I’m sure many readers watch programs like CSI and other TV, Cable or Netflix series with some kind of ‘investigative’ sub-theme running throughout the 45 minutes of entertainment. Often the characters are police or forensic investigators delving into a scene and piecing together a narrative with only a few clues as their starting point. But from such small things they manage to re-build not only the sequence of events that led to the particular tragedy they are investigating, but they seem to find the culprit too (and all in forty five minutes!)

Sometimes when reading the stories that surround the ministry of Jesus we too have to be a little like investigators. In noticing small details and from various ‘clues’ we too are able to build up a fuller picture of what initially might be hidden from our sight.

Today we see one such moment.

It leads us to observe that one of the defining factors in the ministry of Jesus was his even-handedness. By this I mean that he was most sensitive to his audiences and responded accordingly. In particular he responded to both the men and women who made up is audiences and who were attracted to his message. Perhaps that’s not surprising since he spoke in a way that drew upon their own experience and made God relevant in a language – often of story and image –  they could understand and appreciate.

More particularly let’s note today that Jesus speaks to his audience (and to us) not so much about fasting – even if that is the initial question – but about the need to embrace a much bigger vision. Jesus is offering a totally new way of seeing God and of living in this light.  To try to restrict or interpret this new vision of Jesus in ‘old’ paradigms will not work.

To illustrate this Jesus speaks of new wineskins (for new wine) and of shrunken patches (for the repair of a garment).  And it is here we can return to the above theme of noticing a detail – for in fact Jesus gives two illustrations of the need to embrace ‘the new’. One illustration concerns making and using only new wineskins for wine preservation which would be all too familiar to his audience, and let us imagine familiar to the men in particular. But then Jesus goes on to speak of stitching and repairing garments with patches – something that would be all too familiar to the women listening to him at the time.

Noticing the two illustrations, for both the men and the women, is a small detail, and we must note that it is only a means to illustrate the central message, but it’s a detail that I notice and admire about Jesus. He is there unapologetically for both the men and women of his time.

In this we see a call within the call. Of course the primary message of our gospel today  is to embrace the totality of Jesus’ call to live in the light of a new vision of God and not to be bound by what may be familiar and safe, but in the end will not meet the needs of the present moment.

But beneath this too is a call to be open, non-sexist and mutual in all our relationships as men and women of today’s Catholic Church, and as the present disciples of Jesus.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is a member of Holy Spirit Province, Australia. 

Scripture:

Genesis 12:1-9
Matthew 7:1-5

Reflection:

A few years ago, when a good friend called, I was not surprised at the news she shared. She told me that she and her husband were separating. I had sensed that this might happen and it was important to listen and to love. What she focused on was not the past or all the reasons for the decision. She talked more about the scary future, the uncertainty, the unknown.

Abram and Sarai in today’s reading are called in their senior years to take a journey filled with uncertainty and unknowns. “The LORD said to Abram: ‘Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.’” All this at 75 years old, as scripture says. And he goes. He knows he must go. He becomes a migrant.

Think about all those today who are leaving the land of their kinsfolk in today’s massive migration of peoples. For whatever reason, they leave knowing the journey is dangerous and the destination uncertain.

Would I have had the courage of Abram? Can I imagine what impels a person to become a refugee? Can I guarantee that all will be well for my friend? No. What I can do is, as the Gospel requires of me, “Stop judging, that you may not be judged…. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” I pray that I can be attentive to those who embark on an arduous journey and place them all into the care of a merciful and loving God. May He lead them safely to wherever their journey takes them.

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:

Deuteronomy 7:6-11
1 John 4:7-16
Matthew 11:25-30

Reflection:

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and all our Scripture readings speak of God’s love. In our first reading, Moses reminds the people that they are not the chosen ones because they were a numerous nation, or had status among nations, but because “the LORD loved you…” In our second reading, we are told: “In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.”

In our Gospel reading, Jesus says these familiar words: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Here Jesus is contrasting Himself with the religious leaders of the day, who did put burdens on the people with regards to living out the Law of Moses, but did nothing to help them. Jesus is there to help us.

If we think about Jesus’ command to love, especially when we’ve heard in recent days about turning the other cheek and loving our enemies, it seems that the yoke Jesus wants us to take is not all that easy. To love in the way of which Jesus speaks can often be challenging! And so it can seem easier to actually follow the Pharisees’ example and be only concerned with the letter of the law.

But Jesus’ yoke, the commandment to love, can be “easy” and “light,” when we accept Jesus’ great love for us into the depths of our hearts. The more we know deep down how much we are loved, the freer we are to respond by loving others, and the closer we get to God in Jesus Christ, which, in turn, enables us to respond more easily to Jesus commandment, and so on.

Jesus’ Sacred Heart is full of love for us. May His love fill our hearts and overflow into the world. “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.”

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

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 1:1-7
Matthew 5:1-12

Reflection:

When pondering the Word, it is important to understand the context in which the Word is written in a given Gospel story. The Word is other-centered. Yes, in God’s goodwill, we are recipients of God’s blessings, but those blessings produce blessings for others, or otherwise, they are not blessings at all. With the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus goes up a mountain, beyond the crowd which has gathered. He can see them all. The disciples join him. They leave the crowd with whom they were standing and go and position themselves in a “learning” position.

The first part of each Beatitude has to do with a particular Christ-like position we take in the face of obvious need, e.g. mourning. The second part of each of the beatitudes is focused on those who are the recipients of the particular approaches we take in the face of people’s needs, e.g. “they will be comforted.” Our particular behavioral approaches to people are the beatitudes, the blessings meant for others, not for ourselves. The Beatitudes are other-oriented.

So, too, consolation and patient endurance demand an energy beyond our human capability. “If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same suffering that we are also suffering.” (2 Cor. 1: 5)

Like Jesus, we have trust in the mercy and consolation from the Father towards us.

It is only in looking back, as Paul did Himself in writing these letters, do we realize where our consoling God has been with us.

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

Scripture:

Acts 14:5-18
John 14:21-26

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus says: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” I have to confess that I struggle with these words from Jesus. What I struggle with is the seeming implication that the Father’s love for us comes after the demonstration of our love for Jesus. Elsewhere in John’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that it is God who loves us first. In our reading from Acts, where the people of Lystra mistake Paul and Barnabas for Greek gods because of the healing of a man lame from birth, Paul tries to explain to them that it is God who has bestowed blessings upon them, even though they did not believe in Him.

So I don’t believe that our love of Jesus affects whether God loves us or not. God loves us no matter what. What makes sense to me is that when we observe Jesus’ commandments, in loving God and loving our neighbor, Jesus reveals more and more of Himself to us. The more we strive to love as Jesus loves, the more Jesus reveals to us how much He loves us and how much He loves the world, which better enables us to follow Him. Instead of a vicious cycle spiraling downward, perhaps we could call it a virtuous cycle spiraling upward.

After Jesus has spoken the words mentioned above, Judas, not the Iscariot, asks Him, “Master, [then] what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Judas is confused because Jesus seems to be speaking about a personal revelation rather than a universal one. Jesus responds by saying similar words to the ones He has just spoken. Perhaps the answer is that Jesus reveals Himself to the world through us. The more God is all in all for us, the more we reveal His love in Jesus Christ, and the more the world hears the Good News. May we follow Jesus’ commandments, so that His love is revealed to all.

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

Scripture:

Acts 11:1-18
John 10:11-18

Reflection:

While all Scripture is the living word of God carrying a message to us as individuals and as part of the Community of Faith there is something very special about the readings during the Easter season. The word that comes to mind upon reflecting on today’s readings is Unity. We are one.

We are made one by our common baptism. We have One Shepherd who has One Voice who is Jesus and he knows me by name.

Yet, in our oneness we are different, we have different life experiences, different reference points, all made uniquely as a piece of God’s own life. As such we are called to reflect that life of Christ to all we meet. There is unity in our diversity, and we must recognize and celebrate that blessing.

I was struck by Jesus’ words in the final verse of the Gospel: “A thief comes to steal and slaughter and destroy; I have come so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” v.10. I wonder if we miss the point of this verse when we see the thief as other than ourselves. Those are strong words: steal, slaughter, destroy. Taking these words and adding a line from our first reading, “..who was I to be able to hinder God?” v.17b, begs the question, have I ever hindered God?

Have I in my humanity ever stole or slaughtered or destroyed? Of course, I have! We all have in some form or other, it’s our broken humanity and even that unites us. In the final verse of our first reading as the circumcised believers listen to Peter’s experience they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying, “God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too.” v.18 These words sound very much like the abundant life Jesus came to bring to all.  Unity, trust, faith, humility, wisdom. All are included, all are equal when we remain open to humbly listening to the Spirit in our world.

We choose abundant life whenever we put ourselves in the proper place as a child of God among many.

May we all come to Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord in each other.

May we drink deeply from the abundance of the Good Shepherd who calls us all by name. 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.