Claire Smith

Scripture:

Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22
Matthew 22:34-40

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading from Matthew, we hear a scholar of the law ask Jesus, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” And Jesus responds with the commandment to love God with everything you have and are. And then, Jesus goes further by talking about the second commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.

As much as we may try to separate the two, we really cannot. How can the love of God be demonstrated in concrete ways unless we love each other? In our first reading from the beginning of the Book of Ruth, we see a great example of this love.

In fact, I see many things about love in what we hear about Ruth that would be good for us to remember. One is that love knows no false barriers. Naomi, an Israelite, moved to Moab with her husband. Her two sons took Moabite women for their wives. When Naomi’s husband dies, and then her two sons die, Naomi decides to go home and sends her daughters-in-law to their homes. But Ruth will not leave her side: “For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” It is such a touching scene, between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law, no less! But such is the power of love, flowing from the love of God for all.

At a time when there is great suspicion of those who are different, Ruth and Naomi show us how love, perhaps strengthened by understanding each other’s loss, can overcome the stereotypes and prejudices that seem almost taken for granted these days.

The two commandments of which Jesus speaks have been with us for a long time, and yet, when we follow them, we witness to a different idea of what the world can be. I would daresay that it is not only “the law and the prophets” which depend on these two commandments, but all of reality. As people of faith, we don’t need to ask which are the greatest commandments. All we need to do is to follow them.

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

Scripture:

Revelation 21:9b-14
John 1:45-51

Reflection:

Meeting Jesus

Philip in the beginning of Jesus’s ministry tells Nathaniel: “come and see” Jesus!  The first step of religion or of a meaningful relationship with the Lord is to meet Him!   This fact is so obvious in the Gospels that it can easily be missed.   It is expressed by a plethora of words and expressions.    Just one word “to come near” (pros-erxomai in Greek NT) alone is used for approaching Jesus 29 times in Matthew. 

In today’s Gospel Nathaniel becomes a lifelong follower of Jesus only after experiencing His word and presence.   He needed to be brought face to face with the living Christ.    We see a frequent pattern in the Scriptures of encounters with the Lord.   A beautiful example is found in Mt 28:9 “And behold, Jesus met (Greek NT upo+anti up close) them (women) and greeted them.   And they came up and took a strong hold of His feet and worshiped Him.” Mt 28:9

The experience of meeting Jesus must begin with Him making the first move.    In the post resurrection appearances, no one sees Jesus unless He first shows Himself.   So, we see in Mt 28 Jesus first “meets” (upo+anti up close) the women.  It is only then that they approach (pros-erxomai) and throw their arms around His feet, so He won’t get away!   In prayer we must be humble and realize we are way out of our ability to contact Jesus by our own power. 

The Cure of Ars beautifully comments: “My little children, your hearts are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God.” To touch the Living Christ is the biggest stretch of our lives!  How many people have experienced not only is it hard to pray but it is impossible to do so without Himself revealing His presence?  

How often in Scripture the Psalmist begs God: “Do not hide Your face from me,Ps 27:9  “You hid Your face, I was dismayed” Ps 30:7    The face of God was a beautiful expression for the presence of God.  God is the deciding factor whether we can meet Him in prayer or not!   In the Divine Office we wisely begin by saying: “Open my mouth and (then) I shall declare thy praise!”

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Judges 9:6-15
Matthew 20:1-16

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus tells a parable about the kingdom of heaven. It is a parable about an owner of a vineyard hiring workers at different times of the day, and winding up paying them all the same, the “usual daily wage.” In the parable, the workers who worked in the vineyard all day take exception to the fact that the ones who only worked an hour or two get the same wage.

For those of us listening to this parable, we can find ourselves sympathizing with those ones who were offended. But we need to remember that this is a parable about the kingdom of heaven, not a discourse about just labor practices.

If we think about the kingdom of heaven, about our salvation, does it matter whether we are first or last or somewhere in-between? Are there different levels of heaven, or different levels of being forever with God? I think that very often we’d like to think there is. But once again, Jesus reveals to us that God’s way of thinking is not the human way of thinking. God wants us all to enter the kingdom of heaven.

When we are in touch with the generosity and grace and love of God in our lives, and are willing to do God’s will and follow Jesus, I think we’ll find that we are just happy to get in, and we will willingly let go of any concern about rank and privilege in heaven. Think of your favorite saint. Do you not hope that he or she will welcome you with joy, no matter when you came? He or she will not be jealous of you being in the presence of God as he or she is. What more privilege can we receive than to spend eternity with the God who loves us more than we can imagine?

While we are here on earth, following Jesus involves working for justice and peace. Laborers deserve a just wage for the labor they provide. But when it comes to the kingdom, the “prize” of being with God cannot be added to or segmented into different levels. By the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ, may we all enter the kingdom.

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

Scripture:

Judges 2:11-19
Matthew 19:16-22

Reflection:

A rich young man of the ruling class who owned a lot of property runs up to Jesus.  He was very influential and a person of authority, moral and kept the commandments and probably very devout.  The young man asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life.  Jesus responds: “Keep the commandments”.  The young man asks: “Which ones?” (Matthew 19:18)

And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁰ (Matthew 19: 18-20). 

It is interesting to note that these commandments pertain to our relationships with others.  The young man replies: “All these things I have kept, what am I still lacking?” (Mathew 19:21) We know Jesus answer next: “Go sell what you and give to the poor and come follow me.”  (Matthew 19:22)

The young man went away grieving because he could not give up his love for possessions and earthly treasures. 

There are many of us who could sound like the wealthy young man.  We have observed the commandments most of our lives, gone to mass frequently and put our envelope in the collection basket. The young man asks Jesus what he is lacking.  He knew that something was missing in his life, but he couldn’t quite identify that missing element. This gospel challenges us to take a few moments today and talk to Jesus about what might be missing or lacking in our spiritual life.  Like the young man, do we need to do more for the poor and vulnerable in our communities?  Are we lacking a daily prayer life or have we elderly relatives in nursing homes whom we never visit?  Try and figure out what more we can do to gain eternal life and then put together a plan to do it. 

Lord, today help me to discern what I am lacking and give me the grace and strength to go and do it. 

Carl Middleton is a theologian/ethicist and a member of the Passionist Family.

*Biblical  quotes have been taken from https://thebiblesays.com/about/ and some elements adapted from the same source.

Scripture:

Joshua 24:14-29
Matthew 19:13-15

Reflection

Imagine yourself smack in the middle of today’s first reading. Joshua has “gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,” and you are right there with them. The purpose of the assembly is for all those present to renew their commitment to God. Joshua exhorts the Israelites to make a decisive confession of faith by publicly declaring who will rule their hearts. Will they give themselves to Yahweh, the only true God, or align themselves with “the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt” or “the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling”? After asserting that they will never “forsake the LORD for the service of other gods,” you hear the tribes of Israel recite a stirring litany of God’s saving actions for them, beginning with their ancestors’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt up to their present life among the Amorites. That liturgy of remembrance enables them to jubilantly declare: “Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”

It is easy to picture ourselves participating in this covenant renewal ceremony because we all give our hearts to something. We can even say that we are naturally lovers because we hand ourselves over to whatever we think will complete us; whatever we believe will satisfy the deepest hungers and yearnings of our lives. This story from the book of Joshua reminds us that every person worships some god even though it may not be the true God. Joshua warns the Israelites about serving “strange gods.” Today those “strange gods” could be money and possessions. They could be our successes and achievements. Or maybe our strange god is making sure we always get what we want and always have our way. When we look back over our lives, we discover that we forsake the true God for strange gods all the time.

And whenever we do, we learn that no matter how alluring those strange gods might be, none can offer us the life and peace and goodness and joy and hope that the only real God can and always has. And so today, let us join our ancestors in the faith in joyfully proclaiming: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

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

Scripture:

Joshua 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17
Matthew 18:21-19:1

Reflection:

To be a Christian is to live a forgiven and forgiving life. It is to extend to others the liberating mercy that God always extends to us.

That’s the message of today’s gospel, a passage that begins with what may well be the most famous question posed in the scriptures. Peter asks Jesus if it is ever permissible to stop forgiving. Can we put limits on forgiveness? Can we cease being merciful? As he often does, Jesus responds with a parable. It’s the story of the unforgiving official, the man who had been rescued by mercy but who brazenly refused to show a servant the same mercy the king had extended to him. Both the official and the servant’s future absolutely depended on the gift of forgiveness because neither could pay back his debt. Both the official and the servant fell to their knees and begged for mercy. But the one who had received it, instead of imitating the mercy he had so lavishly been given, had the servant jailed until he could repay all that he owed. The parable ends with the unforgiving official, now stripped of the mercy he had received, tortured and tossed into prison, and with Jesus’ ominous warning that the same fate awaits us if we withhold forgiveness to anyone.

Each of us has a mission of mercy. Each of us is to be a living sacrament of God’s merciful love in the world. It is a vocation every Christian shares, a calling to which no follower of Jesus is ever exempt. That is because God has been endlessly and patiently merciful to us. God’s extravagant mercy is the gift that makes all of us equal and all of us one; indeed, God’s mercy is the foundation of our lives. Thus, to withhold mercy—to refuse to offer it whenever we can—is not only to be horribly ungrateful and scandalously unjust, but also to blaspheme God.

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology and Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:22-33

Reflection:

The readings for today focus on three distinct characters in our Biblical traditions. Elijah, the Old Testament prophet; Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles; and Peter, the one Jesus chose to lead the church. The first reading, and the gospel, touch on well-recognized elements in our lives of faith—fear and doubt. Rather than considering our doubts or fears as weaknesses of faith, I believe they are opportunities to grow deeper in trust and strengthen us as we journey along from day to day.

In the first Book of Kings, the verses before today’s text speak of a threat to Elijah’s life by Jezebel. Upon hearing this, he flees and prays for God to take him. Feeling he has failed God in his mission, he doubts his value. Then the angel of the Lord tells him to go to Horeb, the mountain of God. Our reading highlights his search for God’s voice. Like Elijah, we sometimes look for God only in displays of the fantastic. We often assume that simple, quiet, or ordinary things might not be worthy of God’s power. Yet, that is what Elijah experienced in this particular moment. Sometimes, on the other hand, loud and chaotic events in our lives do drown out God’s presence. We recently cared for our three youngest grandchildren while their parents took a well-deserved break. Navigating the schedule of a 7-, 6-, and 3-year-old can be dizzying. Then we were doubly blessed to add their cousin and his high school football schedule. While I know that God is always present in all situations, including fantastic feats of nature, I found his quiet spirit in the laughter, the earnest eyes, and the happy play of each grandchild.

I admit to times when I felt myself drowning like Peter in our gospel. Knowing I invited this happy chaos upon myself in my “yes” to our kids, “Of course, you go on vacation, take some time away, we’d love to have your children all to ourselves”…. I could only call out to Jesus to help me when doubting my ability to fulfill my promise.

While my recent insight into this gospel passage is not exactly earthshaking, it is valuable in reminding me of God’s constant presence and desire to touch my life. That is real. Jesus responded to Peter’s call for help by plucking him out of the water with the statement, “O, you of little faith, why did you doubt?”(v.31b). Yet, this is not a statement of smallness of faith so that it is useless. In chapter 17:20, Jesus teaches that the power of “small faith,” the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains.

We must never forget that even the smallest grain of faith—despite doubt—benefits God’s kingdom. Pope Francis, in one of his reflections several years ago suggested:

“If we put what little we have into the hands of Jesus in order to share with others, it will become an overabundant richness.”

In our second reading, St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, writes of his “great sorrow and constant anguish” (v. 1b) for his own people who have rejected the good news of Jesus Christ. Who of us cannot relate to his sentiments? We also can lament children, siblings, and friends who may have walked away from our church. Without whose presence we are somehow less. Yet, Paul ends by giving God praise. “God blessed forever” (v. 5b).

Finally, we pour all our hope, faith, doubt, and worship into the words of the Psalm as we state emphatically,

“Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven.” (Psalm 85:11-12).

May we always and forever, through all the joys and challenges of life, place our faith and trust in our loving God. 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.

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 9:6-10
John 12:24-26

Reflection:

Jesus taught that those who love their lives will lose them. This doesn’t exclusively refer to the moment when we breathe our last. All through the years, life is not static. Over and over again, we lose the “life we love” and have to let go, adjust, and build something new. Likewise, and as a corollary, Jesus constantly taught that we have to die – again, not only physically when we breathe our last on this earth, but more importantly, in ways big and small throughout our lives. The path to growth, maturity, wisdom, deeper faith, and fuller life is through loss of the life we currently lead, no matter how attached we are to it – in other words, through death. I wish there were another way; I don’t like dying! But I increasingly know there is not.

I’ve learned this lesson repeatedly, including in the past several years. I’ve had to let go of aspects of my self-image, my visions for what my life would look like, many beliefs about God and faith, my assumptions about people close to me, and more. Many of the things I let go of were cherished and valued. It felt like dying when I had to close chapters I loved, see dreams and hopes crumble, lose people I loved, and move on. It’s been hard work to delve deeply into myself, to accept and let go instead of resisting, and to re-envision myself and my life. At times, I felt like I’d lost “myself” and all I knew was darkness.

Yet God, who always sows in abundance, was sowing life in me. God was working slowly and patiently, and only as I was ready, to help me find my center, regain my strength, and guide me on the path. I’m not finished with this journey – as if we ever are! But I have been stretched, I’ve grown, and I’m in a much better place personally and spiritually than I was a few years ago. I never would have asked for the circumstances of my life to get here, but when those things happened and all I felt was dying and loss, God was there to crack open every hardened seed, help me slough off the debris, and gradually bring light, new life, and peace.  

Where are you in your life? Perhaps you’re in a more settled place right now, an oasis where you’re able to sow seed from the goodness of all God has given you. (Remember, God loves a cheerful giver!) Perhaps you’re in a dark spot, unable to see the light ahead and needing to trust in defiance of death (or in acceptance of it) as God cracks the seed casing you’ve so carefully guarded. Perhaps you’re somewhere in between, trying to discern what is God calling you to as you emerge from deaths, losses, and changes in life. Regardless, I believe that in serving and following Christ, we’ll be repeatedly challenged to die to and leave behind many things we cherish, learn what is worth preserving and expanding, and trust in the sometimes excruciatingly painful process inherent in the Paschal Mystery.

No, I still don’t like dying! Yet it’s the only way to become ever more abundantly who we were created to be, so we, too, can sow light, life and peace in the world.

Amy Florian is a teacher and consultant working in Chicago.  For many years she has partnered with the Passionists.  Visit Amy’s website: http://www.corgenius.com/.