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Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Micah 5:1-4a or Romans 8:28-30
Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

 Reflection:

 I once read that whilst we 21^st Century dwellers could probably only name 3-4 generations of our ancestry – a young person in 1^st Century Palestine might well name the past 20 or more generations of his or her family. They’d be able to name the patriarchs and matriarchs of each generation of their particular family with pride and certainty. Perhaps this is not so surprising for societies that relied heavily on memory to keep alive story and history.

One sees an example of this in the listing of the ‘genealogy’ of Jesus – perhaps not surprisingly Matthew wants his audience to know Jesus not only as the Son of God, but also as a son of Abraham (and thus his use of the genealogy that brings the reader to the marriage of Mary and Joseph as the final step in God’s plan for our salvation).

Whilst today’s feast – the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – focuses our attention on Mary as God’s chosen from birth, our readings stress more her role in the birth of Jesus. Today’s Feast is one recognised from earliest times and shared ecumenically across the whole Christian community; interestingly and noteworthy in today’s world too, we might also observe that the Islamic faith recognises Mary’s special place in salvation. The birth of Mary is narrated in the third sura (chapter) of the Qur’an.

In our own scriptures we are accustomed to Luke telling us of Jesus’s birth through the lens of Mary’s faithfulness, but here today we see Matthew telling the story of Jesus’ birth through the lens of Joseph’s genealogy and more importantly, his faithfulness to God.

And as we can notice Joseph is silent in the gospels – not a word escapes his lips, but his commitment and whole-hearted response to God and his deep care for Mary and Jesus is shown only too clearly in all his actions. Perhaps in this he is a model for so many parents whose love for their family is poured out daily in acts of sacrifice, forgiveness, acceptance and loving kindness while the words to express all this seem to escape them (or shyness prevents them making such utterances).

So our gospel calls us to notice both Joseph and Mary and we see very clearly that they are wholehearted in their response to God – at considerable cost to themselves, their comfort and security. Through their generous responses we can see that Jesus begins his life in safety and, in that his first home is in the hearts of Joseph and Mary, we see also that despite relocations and upheavals, he is certainly surrounded by love and security as he begins the adventure of life.

Perhaps such beginnings are not all that Joseph and Mary had dreamed of for their married life – and in that they are not alone. For many families life takes difficult turns, and all that partners seek for themselves or as parents desire for a child, is not always possible. But like Joseph and Mary love and trust help us to find our way into the deeper things of life. Loving relationships, mutual selflessness and generosity become far greater gifts than dwellings, comfort or even certainty.

So today let us seek to imitate Mary (and Joseph’s)  faithfulness and reproduce it in our day and age.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is a member of Holy Spirit Province, Australia.  He currently serves on the General Council and is stationed in Rome.

Scripture:

Colossians 1:9-14
Luke 5:1-11

Reflection:

I attended class on Saturday mornings to complete my undergraduate degree allowing me to begin my working career before graduation. Jack, the president of the company, had a big corner office on the first floor of this ten-story warehouse that filled a block just south of the Chicago Loop. I don’t remember the car he drove, but I do remember that he had a sailboat moored at the Chicago Yacht Club where he periodically hosted sales meetings and dinners. He taught me how to sell.

Father Benet Keiran, CP,  served as the assistant pastor of Immaculate Conception, the parish staffed by Passionists on the northwest side of Chicago in the 1950’s. I remember the day Father came over to bless our house. We, my twin brother Dave and my younger brother Tim, followed and watched as he meandered from room to room with a pen in one hand sprinkling holy water and a prayer book in the other from which he read the blessings. On the way back downstairs our dog, Rusty bounced up the stairs to catch up when we asked Father if he could bless Rusty. He gladly obliged reciting a special blessing for Rusty and sprinkling him with the holy water. Father taught me at that young age, that my home and even my pet were special and worthy God’s blessing.

“While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats… When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.” (LK 5:1-11)

I admired and followed Jack and Benet, two men of very different backgrounds and social standing, who happened into my life. Peter James and John encountered Jesus and followed him. My hope and prayer today is that we, the followers of Jesus will attract younger people to follow us and maybe more importantly live lives that are worthy of following.

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

Scripture:

Colossians 1:1-8
Luke 4:38-44

 

Reflection:

Why Believe?

 Today’s Gospel selection vividly recounts Jesus’ healing ministry:  the cure of the severe fever of Simon’s mother-in-law, multitudes of sick with various diseases – even people with demons!  Crowds of people followed Him, and even tried to block his path as He desired to move on to other towns and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God.

We must constantly remind ourselves that Jesus is the center of our faith because of Who He is, not simply because of his miraculous powers or his persuasive words.  The demons driven out by Jesus had more insight into Jesus than many people of times past and present:  they declared to Jesus, “You are the Son of God.”

Jesus cured Simon Peter’s mother-in-law of a severe fever, but there were undoubtedly many other sick people whom He did not cure.  Jesus laid hands on those with various diseases and healed them, but there were many more sick people throughout the world at that time with whom Jesus never came in contact.  Jesus worked his miracles out of a sense of compassion, but he was even more concerned with drawing people to himself in faith.  The response of faith is much more important than a cure or a healing; our eternal future, not just our here-and-now lifetime, depends on our response of faith.

We cannot limit ourselves by accepting Jesus only if he pleases our needs or our sense of values.  Jesus reveals himself to us as much more than our human “view”:  He is the Christ, the Word Made Flesh — and Son of God!  We’re invited to believe in and generously follow Him without condition.  Like St. Paul in the first reading, we give thanks to God for the gift of faith in Jesus, and the love that freely flows from that faith.

With and in Jesus, we embrace our needy world with the good news of the Kingdom of God.  May hope and healing abound!

 

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

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11
Luke 4:31-37

Reflection:

When people are saying, “Peace and security,” then sudden disaster comes upon them… 1 Th 5:3

And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region. Luke 4:37

I recently took a road trip that included passing through many areas near great forest fires. Although I never came close to the actual fire, signs directing firefighters to the base camps and the deep haze of smoke in the air left no doubt that there was some disaster nearby. But there were also many signs thanking those who were working the fire lines, showing great gratitude for the dangerous and often deadly work they were doing to protect others. This is also seen in the pictures coming out of Houston of regular folk helping each other, carrying family and friends, strangers and even unknown pets to safety.

Paul’s statement in 1 Thessalonians certainly describes what many are experiencing these days. Floods, fires, contended elections, the movement of refugees, the list goes on and on. He names these events “The day of the Lord,” that comes, “like a thief in the night.” Unannounced and unlooked for, sudden disaster comes. For many years I equated “the day of the Lord” with the disasters themselves. God was angry with something and He sent His righteous judgement to balance the scales. However, Paul continues that we should remain awake during these events because we have gained salvation. If we are indeed saved, why would the day of the Lord, a disaster come upon us?

What if the disasters just happen? What if trials and troubles are just part of our human journey here on the earth? What does that make “the day of the Lord?” What if the day of the Lord is when He is especially close to us, holding us through the troubles, inspiring us to help each other? What if the day of the Lord is when He is calling us to be awake and see His living presence in those around us, regardless of color, gender, political leaning, age, etc.? Calling us to help and witness others helping? What if the day of the Lord is not the disasters themselves, but God’s response to seeing His children suffer?

As Jesus said, the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. He may as well said, “today is the day of the Lord.” He lived His life in constant service, even when it contradicted social convention, i.e., healing on the Sabbath. As a result news of Him spread far and wide. Jesus is God’s response to all of our suffering.

My prayer for myself is that I make every day a “day of the Lord,” finding ways to serve those around me.

Talib Huff, in addition to many other things,  works and volunteers at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights. You can reach him at [email protected].

Scripture:

1Thessalonians 4:13-18
Luke 4:16-30

 

Reflection:

Remembering, Celebrating, and Proclaiming…

Today’s Gospel selection recounts Jesus’ early ministry on a Sabbath in his hometown synagogue.  He proclaimed a familiar reading from Isaiah, and then proclaimed “…today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”  The initial reaction of the people was very favorable – “the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him” — but when they realized the full implication of what he was saying, that he was the fulfillment of the prophecy, their “favor” turned into incredulity.  How can the son of Joseph the carpenter be all that he claimed to be?  Their incredulity blossomed into hostility and fury, to the point of almost hurling Jesus head-first over the brow of a nearby hill!  Jesus escaped the people’s fury by passing through their midst and leaving his hometown…on to other peoples and places, other challenges and opportunities.

In our 21^st Century world, we ponder Jesus’ challenging words as he quotes the prophet Isaiah.  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor…to proclaim liberty to captives…recovery of sight to the blind…to let the oppressed go free…to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord…”  Jesus provides us with his “mission statement”, his ministry to peoples of all times and locations:  Good News that challenges each of us to action, just as it did the people of long ago!

Today we in the United States and Canada celebrate Labor Day, thanking God for the resources and skills that help us collaborate in providing the necessities of life for one another, along with responsibly respecting and caring for all of creation.  As citizens of planet earth and members of God’s family, we celebrate Labor Day in a spirit of thanksgiving and petition — that God would continue to watch over and inspire each of us to “labor” for the good of all creation as 21^st Century…Spirit-filled disciples of Jesus.

As disciples called to “labor” in our world, we have Good News to proclaim in word and deed!  God’s Spirit is with us as we face the challenges of violence and hunger, of floods and hurricanes, of bigotry and racism, of injustice and selfishness of all types, etc.  No matter our heritage or our experience, we offer our gifts and our limitations to build up our human family and our world in the bold spirit of Jesus and Isaiah.

With and in Jesus, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon us”.  Time to build!  Let’s roll.  Amen.

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

Scripture:

Jeremiah 20:7-9
Romans 12:1-2
Matthew 16:21-27

Reflection:

“He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.’” Matthew 16:23

Most of the time we all think as human beings, because we are human beings! Early this morning God reminded me that I need to trust Him enough to quit seeing things as they appear and let Him be God!

We are in the process of setting up a manufactured home on a piece of property and every day, it seems, something sets us back. We started the process in February when we bought the land. Our home was finished on June 3^rd, but it is still sitting in storage somewhere. We have moved twice since waiting for our home to be finished and are just praying that it will be finished before this lease is up!

Jim got a phone call yesterday, and the contractor informed him that his rig had broken down, so they had to get fixed before continuing to prepare our site. I immediately began to grumble and complain because I was thinking as a human being, upset that something else had gone wrong.

Then very early this morning the Lord showed me that when we got that phone call yesterday He was saying, “Come on honey, you can do it! Just say, ‘It’s OK! God has a plan and He is in control.’” It was so encouraging to me that He is trying to help me trust Him even in the frustrations of this time of waiting and testing. He longs to help me grow and mature in my faith. He helped me see that I need to plan ahead for when the next discouraging word comes. I need to be ready to say, “It’s really ok! God can work everything for good.”

When I woke up this morning, I was inspired to write:

“Live today well… walking hand-in-hand with your loving Father; spending time with Jesus your brother, Savior and friend; and letting the Holy Spirit breathe life into your thoughts, words and deeds.”  Truly, I need to live more in the moment, savoring life today and praising God for His ever present help and His amazing personal love for each of us.

 

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 Thessalonians 4:9-11
Matthew 25:14-30

Reflection:

Many thoughts come in rapid sequence through my consciousness as I sit here in Austin, Texas, at the end of the week of disaster and heroic rescue efforts just down the highway in gulf-coast Texas.

Our first reading is addressed to the Christian community in Thessaloniki, the capital city of Macedonia. The citizens, both Jewish and Christian, had given considerable grief to Paul on his preaching campaign there, but later word comes to him that the community has begun to pull-together, to recognize their indebtedness to the Gospel, and to their own fraternity. Paul singles out their charity for one another, indeed, throughout Macedonia. He makes clear that it is their duty to carry out their charity with their own hands.

The floods in eastern and southeastern Texas are being called a natural disaster, but the heroism of many who have come out to confront the disaster is more than natural, it is supernatural. It is an expression of a fundamental creed that often lies beneath the surface of our political and economic battles, it is the creed that Paul the Apostle refers to in our first reading, and the creed that Jesus exemplifies so clearly and deliberately when, after washing the feet of the disciples, he asks them, “Do you know what I have done?” He has given them an example (Jn 13:14-15), it is the example we profess in the Gospel’s alleluia verse: I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you (Jn 13:34).

The reading from the gospel for today might also offer us a reflection on the week’s flooding and the circumstances surrounding the effects of hurricane Harvey.

Until this week, this gospel parable might have seemed a simple fable about prudent risk-taking versus fear to risk at all. Two servants put their talents to work and multiplied them; one servant feared losing the talent he was entrusted with, and buried it.

The biblical message we usually associate with this parable is that Christians must trade on their true treasure, the Gospel message of salvation through conversion to Christ. That message needs to be a part of our daily activities, our daily witness and testimony to Christ. When proclaimed in this way, it is multiplied in the persons who come to believe in Jesus as Savior.

If, on the other hand, we “hoard” our faith, keeping it out of the daily affairs of our life, we render it sterile and fruitless; it is the talent buried in the ground out of fear.

The flooding following on hurricane Harvey’s passage through the gulf coast has challenged many persons and communities to do “the neighborly thing,” i.e., to love one’s neighbor. These talents of love and compassion for one’s neighbor are being multiplied many times over, and will enrich our communities for generations to come.

One closing thought, out of reverence for our earth and the stewardship we owe it. I cringe when I hear this episode of hurricane Harvey’s landfall called a “natural disaster.” It implies that “nature” is to blame for the calamitous flooding. This kind of consequence to a natural event (a hurricane) is a human disaster, brought about by many human decisions, not by nature. Where to build, what to build, what to pave, how much groundwater to extract, where people choose to live and where to play: these all are questions that human beings interject into the stream of natural forces that we cannot control.

May we learn the many lessons that challenge us from the word of God, and from God’s great gift to us in our habitat we call Mother Earth.

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

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Matthew 25:1-13

Reflection:

Some years ago we had a Passionist brother, Jim Kent, who was a member of our community for a few years.  Prior to joining us he had served in the Air Force as an MP and was assigned to night time guard duty at a remote base deep in the woods of Maine.  With him was a sentry dog always at his side.  One night, he told me, his dog suddenly stiffened and stared out into the deep darkness.  Only several minutes later did Jim himself spot headlights coming through the woods toward the base.  The incredible hearing of the alert guard dog had detected the car’s arrival far in advance.

This may seem like a strange introduction to a reflection on today’s Scripture readings but, in fact, staying alert or “staying awake” is the point of Jesus’ parable about the wise and foolish virgins found in today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew.   The parable reflects the Jewish wedding customs of Jesus’ day.  A couple, perhaps already betrothed for some time, (most likely arranged by their parents), are finally able to make their home together.  Young women who perhaps are relatives or friends form a joyous procession to greet the bridegroom as he comes to meet his betrothed and to have a banquet to celebrate this moment.  The virgins carry lighted torches to add beauty to the ceremony.  As in so many of Jesus’ parables, what starts as an ordinary slice of life seems to go in a strange direction.  In this case, the arrival of the bridegroom comes abruptly and unexpectedly.  Only the virgins with their lamps filled with oil and ready to go are able to join the procession. The “foolish” virgins, on the other hand, don’t have enough oil and have to go buy oil—only to arrive after the door to the wedding feast is locked and they are left out in the darkness.

What is the point of this enticing story?  Commentators have suggested that the “oil” in the lamps is symbolic of good deeds; there are some Jewish stories that use this kind of symbolism.  This might be the case with Matthew’s account of Jesus’ parable, since throughout his Gospel Matthew emphasizes the need for doing good deeds (“It is not those who cry ‘Lord, ‘Lord’ who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my heavenly Father.”).  This may be one of the meanings of the parable, but there is a more immediate significance emphasized by Jesus himself: “Therefore stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”  In fact, “staying awake,” “being alert” is a message Jesus more than once impressed upon his disciples.  As disciples of Jesus, as Christians, we are urged to be ready, alert, for the moments when God’s grace comes to us and invites us to respond.

What are such moments?  Perhaps being alert when we see a friend or family member seeming to be depressed or gripped with sadness, and we offer a word of encouragement or an invitation to talk about their burden.  Perhaps it is being alert to what is happening in our own lives—too much tension, eating too much, drinking too much—not taking the time to reflect on how we can deepen our lives in prayer and reflection.  Perhaps it is turning away from informing ourselves about what is happening in the world around us and how we as Christians can respond.

At the conclusion of his encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis reminds us that even if we feel powerless before some of the monumental problems of our times—poverty, pollution, political corruption, racism, violence—we are capable of “small gestures” of love and justice that offset the multitude of toxic acts of violence, hatred and indifference that mar our world.  It is at these moments Jesus in the today’s Gospel asks us to “be alert,” “be awake” and to respond in the spirit of the Gospel.

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.