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Scripture:

Tobit 3:1-11a, 16-17a
Mark 12:18-27

Reflection:

A number of years ago, my good friend Penny and I were driving through the country roads of Northern Indiana in Amish country, when we came upon a farmer standing on a tiller guiding six horses around a corner in his field. We pulled over and stopped to watch as he maneuvered that turn. The acres had no visible crops, only the soil this farmer and his six horses were preparing to receive the seeds which would eventually mature, be harvested and provide sustenance to some of God’s creatures. I cannot remember seeing a more powerful picture of God as expressed in man working the earth in harmony with his animals.

I can also relate with the Sadducees in today’s gospel reading who question Jesus: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, If someone’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child…” Mark 12:19 And I’m sure Jesus could often say to me: “Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” and I thank God for the moments like the above incident where I get to see and know God truly alive in my world.

“I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob?
He is not God of the dead but of the living.” Mark 12:26-27

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

Scripture:

Tobit 2:9-14
Mark 12:13-17

Reflection:

The coin in today’s gospel passage—the coin which Jesus used to respond to the “trick question” which had been put to him—reminded me of the first reading’s closing passage, in which Tobit’s wife, Anna, challenges him for being “two-faced”.

Tobit has been introduced to us as a generous and pious person, faithful to the covenant even though his family had splintered from the Jerusalem Temple. Following the exile into Assyria, he continued his virtuous practices, especially the burial of the dead. This practice ultimately leads to his becoming a fugitive until the untimely death of the king, Sennacherib, makes possible his re-establishing his family life in Nineveh.

Following his misfortune that leads to blindness, Tobit seems to change, he seems to lose his pious and charitable attitude. When he rashly judges that his wife, Anna, has brought home a stolen goat, he refuses to keep it and demands that she return it to its owner. Anna then rebukes him, and asks what became of his pious nature; perhaps this is his real character now being displayed.

I think all of us can relate to Tobit’s response. We go through our life’s duties trying to be faithful to our Catholic way of life. We make efforts, consciously, to do the right thing. Eventually, all of us will come to the crisis that unleashes a run of words, throws up a wall of silence, or sharpens the biting rebuke that is not at all our “best self”.

Anna accuses her husband of being hypocritical, of finally revealing his true “side”. We are probably not surprised at Anna’s behavior; she has been hurt by the refusal of Tobit to accept her explanation that the goat was a “bonus” for a job well-done. Perhaps Tobit’s doubts are being interpreted by Anna as doubts about the quality of her work, implying that no one would give her a bonus for her work.

Let us bring Jesus into our reflection. We know from today’s gospel passage that Jesus was quite adept at turning his accusers’ traps and plots back on themselves. Jesus knew human nature, our shared human nature, and it is the reason that Jesus can be compassionate with us. As we will discover in the continuation of this reading, tomorrow, the compassion of Jesus flows as healing balm into our hearts when we repent, when we recognize the wrong we have done, and ask forgiveness, seek reconciliation with God and with those whom we have offended.

The two sides of a coin can always remind us that our human nature is flawed but redeemed. Which side of the coin of our personhood will we offer to Jesus and to our neighbor?

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

Scripture:

Tobit 1:3; 21b-8
Mark 12:1-12

Reflection:

How is it the day after the great celebration of Pentecost we have two sad stories?  Tobit speaks of a murder in Nineveh.  And Jesus tells a parable about how a group of tenent farmers killed the land owner’s son to the very people who want him dead.  Respectfully, these aren’t happy feel good Pentecost readings.

Our daily word reflects the strong theme of how people of justice are frequently ill-treated.    The first chapter of the book of Tobit covers the virtues of Tobit, his unselfish attitude, and his fear of the Lord.  So today’s reading, when he sits down to the celebration feast of the 50^th day, Pentecost, his festive meal is interrupted by his son who reports to his father that he found the murdered body of a fellow Jew lying in the street.  After eating his festive meal in sorrow and weeping, Tobit goes out to give a proper burial to his kinsman.

The sadness of the readings continues in the Gospel when after the cleansing of the temple,  “The chief priests and the scribes began to look for a way to destroy him” (Mk 11:18).   Between their plots to trap Jesus, he tells this parable about tenant farmers of a vineyard who chose to kill the owner’s son.  The author directly states, “They knew well enough that he meant the parable for them.”  Reading Mark’s gospel, Jesus is always portrayed as innocent.  While he has done nothing wrong he ends up being crucified.

Somewhere along the line, all of us ask this big question, why do bad things happen to good people?  We especially are challenged by this when we seem to be the recipient of suffering and asking the why questions don’t bring us comfort or understanding.  The Christian response is that the picture is bigger than this small life we have.  Somehow the lamp of eternity shines forth and the darkness we perceive are mere shadows  of something far more luminous.

Passionists witness to this struggle for understanding.   I believe Passionist spirituality provides a unique interpretation of this question.   Our prayerful reflections on the Gospel’s passion narratives help us to see Jesus’ presence in the suffering of our human race and our own personal suffering.  And while it may not take the pain away, it certainly gives comfort knowing that Jesus holds us and understands.   The childhood image etched in my memory is of my mother’s presence when I was sick as a small child.  While she didn’t take my sickness away, her words and presence brought a deep sense of comfort.   So too, when I recognize Jesus’ presence is near me in my time of suffering, then I change the way I pray, and I focus less on the suffering and more on my connection to the divine. Suddenly the shadow isn’t as dark, for I now see a light’s illumination where previously I was fixated on the suffering.

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 2:1-11
1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13
John 20:19-23

 

Reflection:

Pentecost 2017

After Jesus ascended, the disciples were confused and fearful as they gathered together.  Questions filled their minds:  what should they do now?  What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?  Physically they were together in the same place, but their hearts and minds were all over the place!  They needed the Holy Spirit!

Jesus’ words came back to them:  “You will receive power from the Holy Spirit…you are to be witnesses, even to the end of the earth.”  And it happened!  The Spirit came upon them, and the great rush of “wind” and tongues of fire blew away their doubts and fears.  They stood together and in a variety of languages boldly proclaimed the Good News of Jesus and the mighty acts of God.  Christianity began to spread through the work of the Spirit in each of them…and, happily, faith in Jesus Christ is ours today.

We ourselves are called to be Spirit-filled people, to let the Good News of Jesus come alive in us and through us for the world in which we live.  As St. Paul stated in today’s 2^nd reading, we each have different spiritual gifts, different forms of service to provide – true fruits of the Holy Spirit at work in us.  Our world has a variety of serious needs which we can help meet with our particular gifts shared in our vocations:  the need for wisdom and understanding, the need for generosity and sacrifice, the need for patience and prudence and peace, the need for true forgiveness as well as gratitude for blessings large and small.

This Pentecost 2017 we are invited to be “Pentecost People”:  people of peace and forgiveness and power and purpose – all based on the life-giving Message of Jesus.  As people of the Church and with the support of one another, may we move beyond our own confusion and fears and live credible lives of forgiveness, joy, and Gospel Life!

And so from our hearts we pray:  Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and kindle within us the fire of your love!

Peace be with you.  Amen.  Alleluia!!

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

Scripture:

Acts 28:16-20, 30-31
John 21:20-25

Reflection:

“There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.” John 21:25

It’s mind-boggling really to think about the many ways that Jesus touched lives while he walked on the earth and the many ways that He continues to touch them today. Truly, there would not be room in the whole world to contain the books if we each wrote down what He has done for us. But that shouldn’t stop us from writing!

The power and value of writing down our stories is inestimable. Journaling is a great way to keep track of all the Lord has taught us and all the things He has done in our lives because we so easily forget as time goes on. Telling our stories helps us remember too. Every year at Passover, the Israelites recalled what God had done for them by telling the story of His love and provision for them. They knew the importance of remembering the story and passing it on to future generations. Jewish families are still telling the story today at their Seder meals each year. By celebrating this way, everyone enters the story and it becomes their story too.

If you have children, it’s good to tell them the story of how you met, fell in love, and married. And more importantly, how God has been a part of your story. It gives the children a sturdy foundation on which to build their lives, and helps them feel secure and loved. You will also benefit by telling your story, because it takes you back to that special time in your life and helps the spark of love that brought you together continue to burn brightly through the decades. Anniversaries are a perfect time for remembering and celebrating the blessings of marriage.

By writing down the ways God has touched our lives, we have a rich storehouse to go to when we are facing trials and hard times. As we recall all that God has done for us, we can’t help but have hope for the future. Finally, for those of us with the real possibility of getting Alzheimers, I realized that if that time comes, I will simply be able to read my journals and books, to know all about myself and my life. I will be able to see that God was faithful to help me in the past, and so I can trust Him all the way home. Writing and telling our stories not only benefits us, but is a way for us to give glory to our awesome God and encourage others in their walk with Him.

As we recall all that God has done for each of us let us pray with Mary, “The Lord has done great things for me and holy is His Name.”

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:

Acts 25:13b-21
John 21:15-19

Reflection:

There are two very dramatic readings before us today. The first tells part of the story of the Apostle Paul’s denunciation to the Roman Procurator of Judea, Porcius Festus; and the second is the more familiar “interrogation” by Jesus of Peter, “do you love me?”

Both accounts portray the difficult terrain that a disciple of Jesus must traverse in the process of living the Gospel in an unaccommodating world.

We all remember how Peter’s lowest moment in the narrative of the Passion comes when he denies being a member of Jesus’ associates, and even of knowing Jesus personally. The denials of Peter while waiting in the shadows to see what will happen to Jesus as he is under Herod’s interrogation come back to haunt him when Jesus takes him aside, after the post-Resurrection appearance at the Sea of Galilee, and he is asked three times whether he loves Jesus.

While we may wish to see this as a call of Jesus to repentance, it is first of all a sign of Jesus’ redemptive power already at work. It is not the same Peter who stood in the shadows of the courtyard, fearing for his own life that responds to Jesus’ three-fold question. It is a renewed and exuberant Peter who has already felt the reconciling grace of Jesus’ resurrection. This sequence of events: Peter’s failure and betrayal; the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross; the Resurrection; and the experience of the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus’ presence among them…tell us that Jesus is not one to exact a price for our redemption. Jesus gratuitously and with his own initiative goes out to meet the Apostles, and Peter most of all. He does not impose a period of penance or set a standard for meriting forgiveness. Jesus looks Peter in the eyes and simply asks, “do you love me?”

What an example for the Church today; indeed, for each one of us, today! No matter our fault or failure, Jesus looks us in the eyes and simply asks, “do you love me?”

In the first reading, Paul is confronted by accusations which do not fit into the Roman scheme of justice. He is accused by religious leaders of religious crimes; but the accusers have brought him before the Roman Procurator, Festus. Surely, Festus will not be swayed by the religious intrigues of this subjected nation of the Jews. When asked if he chooses to stand trial in Jerusalem, Paul invokes his right as a Roman Citizen to be tried in the Emperor’s court. Whereupon he is held in custody until he can be sent to Rome, a journey that will be fraught with danger to life on the sea and protracted periods of safe-harbor as they await the passing of the storms of the season.

We, like Paul, are citizens of two worlds, a Pharisee to the Jews and a Roman citizen to the Romans. Like Paul, we witness to Christ in the daily occupations of our lives. This may be, for most of us, the usual degree of challenge we face in our discipleship. Will I be able to witness to Christ in today’s duties as parent, as citizen, as neighbor, as parishioner?

Today, when Jesus gazes into our eyes and asks, “Do you love me?” What answer will I be able to give in response?

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

Scripture:

Acts 22:30; 23:6-11
John 17:20-26

Reflection:

“…so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me…”

Many of the teachings of Jesus, while sometimes challenging to follow (Love my neighbor? You mean that guy that just cut me off in rush hour traffic?), seem to make good sense. Caring for each other, holding God above all else in our lives, these are pretty reasonable requests of anyone choosing to follow a religious path in life. But this gospel… this is one of those, “Wait, what did he just say?!” gospels.

It starts right at the beginning: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” So right there, Jesus is praying specifically for you. For me. For any and all who read these words. Pause and consider the implications of this. The Son of God is asking his Father something for us. You have to pretty much figure that it’s going to be granted.

And what is Jesus asking for us? “That they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us.” I may be mistaken, but it sounds like He is asking that we have the same relationship with Him and the Father as They have with each other. And that we find that relationship in our relationships with each other. If this is true, who or what is keeping me from that relationship? God seems to want it.

Finally, there’s that line, “That they may be brought to perfection as one.” Now, I don’t know about you, but after almost 60 years on this earth, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that I am pretty far from being perfect. But when I looked up the original Greek that is translated as ‘brought to perfection,’ I found that it can also be rendered as ‘made whole,’ or ‘brought to completion.’ So another way to hear this is that without the relationship Jesus asks for us, we are incomplete.

My prayer for today is that I get out of my own way and accept the relationship Jesus asks for me. That I find in that relationship a wholeness and completion with all those I meet today. May it be so.

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

The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3:14-18a
or Romans 12:9-16
Luke 1:39-56

Reflection:

If you’re at all like me, you’ll have asked yourself The Question: “What is my purpose?  Why am I here?  Why was I born?”  I suppose that’s the question most often asked of Spiritual Advisors and religious leaders by seekers.  Part of our journey seems to be the ever-evolving focus of our vocation.  I know that what I wanted when I was 20 was vastly different when I hit 30.  And 40.  And, well…

In today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke, Mary, after hearing the news from the angel that she would give birth to the Messiah, traveled “in haste” from Nazareth to the house of her cousin Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, which was in a village in the hill country of Judea. When Mary arrived, she found her elderly cousin also pregnant.

There are so many moments in this passage which leap out to me as important, lifechanging encounters with God.  Let’s look at them briefly.  Elizabeth was thought barren, but was now carrying John the Baptist.  And Mary, in the midst of a very interesting marital situation, has a heavenly messenger tell her she’s carrying the Son of God.  Both of these women were in the middle of truly miraculous pregnancies, having had remarkable and world-changing encounters with God.  And then there’s the fact that, in those days, the lengthy and difficult journey for someone entering her  (probably) 2^nd trimester could have been disastrous.  Or that God inspired Mary to go on this journey and be with her family.  And what about Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary? “Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice, ‘Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does it happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’” Mary’s response is equally amazing, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord…” which we now pray as the Magnificat.

Such wonder, richness, and depth.

But there’s something else in this passage… something which hit me like a ton of bricks.  It happens just as the mother of the Messiah approaches the mother of the Forerunner – at the very moment Mary’s greeting was heard – John leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb.

1^st Peter 1:8 explains it pretty well…

“Though you have not seen him, you love him;
and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him
and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”

It kind of made me chuckle a little bit as I was reminded of that age-old question, “What is my purpose in life?”  Even before his birth, John the Baptist was pointing the way to Christ.

And so I found myself reflecting again on my own vocation and how it’s evolved in my 46 years on this planet.  What is it that God has been calling me to grow into?  I’m a composer and performer, writer and speaker, liturgist and minister, husband and father – a laborer in this small part of God’s vineyard – and what an amazing gift it continues to be for me.  And that’s not all… on another level I’m a counselor and confidant, spiritual guide and companion on the journey, meeting people where they are and hoping that, in some small way, I can help them see God’s presence in their own lives, no matter the circumstance.

That’s when the light went off in my head.  That’s what Mary did.  She brought Christ to Elizabeth and John.  She brought Christ to the world.  And when I read about her reaction when Elizabeth saw Mary, and how John leapt when recognized Christ within her, it brought me to a heightened understanding of what it might mean to look for God in every person, in every encounter.

All the items I do in life have one thing in common… they all are designed to reveal Christ to the world, and to help lead people into a deeper relationship with God.  And that’s not all… in doing that I also am reminded to look for the face of God in everyone I meet and every experience of every day.  And, friends, that’s a challenging order to fill.  Like it or not, the faces of even the people we don’t care for are the faces of Christ.  Even in the most difficult of circumstances, God is there, walking with us.  In us.  In them…

Today’s Gospel reminds that all of us have a “bottom-line” vocation – that we are all called to be like Mary and bring Christ to our world, and to be like John the Baptist and point the way to the Saving Lord.  In all we do, and all we experience, God is there, and we are called to see Him, to announce Him.  This quote from St. John Chrysostom of John the Baptist can certainly be considered a solid and unmistakable blueprint for our own lives:

He has not yet left the womb but he speaks by leaping;
he is not yet allowed to cry out but he makes himself heard by his actions;
he has not yet seen the light but he points out the Sun.”

So I’ve changed.  I’ve replaced my nagging question “Why am I here?” with much less simple questions I now ask myself instead.  Let me share with you these three ponderings.  Maybe let’s take a moment and ask them of ourselves together right now:

Who have we been Christ to today?

Who has been Christ to us today?

How have we failed today in being Christ, recognizing Christ?

Dear God of all, thank you for the gift of your most precious presence. Grant us the grace to see you in the face of every person we encounter, and to be the face Christ to every person we meet. Amen.

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