Claire Smith

Scripture:

Acts 2:14a, 36-41
1 Peter 2:20b-25
John 10:1-10

Reflection:

When I was a little girl, I remember my parents always being very careful to make sure our backyard gate was always locked. No one could get in, and I, being a little three-year-old girl, could not get out. I wasn’t supposed to talk to anyone through the gate, no matter what they said. The gate was security and safety, giving my parents a sense of knowing that no harm could come to me from outside that gate. 

And what was outside the gate? I remember my parents warning me about bad people who could take me and hurt me. When we went shopping, I always had to hold my Mom or Dad’s hand, I couldn’t talk to strangers, I definitely could NOT take candy from a stranger. At the age of three, I had a very specific understanding of what danger could be. 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is the gate. Only good people will use the gate – they would have no need to jump the gate or make a hole through the fence. He is the keeper of the gate – the gate opens, he calls them by name and leads them as a group through the gate. The beauty of this is that the sheep can recognize their shepherd’s voice. They don’t recognize anyone else’s voice.

Jesus came to give new life in abundance. We are totally his, and as we continue to recognize his voice, may we follow him on to our heavenly home.

Patty Masson is the Director of Adult Formation and Evangelization for St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Spring, Texas.

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin & Doctor of the Church

Scripture:

Acts 9:31-42
John 6:60-69

Reflection:

Start being brave about everything. Drive out darkness and spread light. Don’t look at your weaknesses. Realize instead that in Christ crucified you can do everything. – Saint Catherine of Siena

Today the Church celebrates the feast day of one of the four women who are Doctors of the Church, Catherine of Siena. Her influence on Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome from Avignon, France was Divine intervention only because she listened to God with deep love and was open to the Holy Spirit.

The above quote from Saint Catherine of Siena goes so well with the readings for today. It is also relevant for our present situation in our country and world. It challenges us to be the one who “drives out darkness and spread light”. It challenges us to be the ones who bring light to those around us. A smile, a small act of kindness or a gentle word. As humans we tend to look at our shortcomings when God has given us many gifts and talents. When we focus on these, we become so much stronger.

In the first reading from Acts of the Apostles, Saint Peter is traveling around and comes across a paralyzed man and through Saint Peter’s healing other people of the region “turned to the Lord”. As he continued his travels he comes to Joppa and hears, through two messengers, that “a disciple named Tabitha” has fallen ill and has died. Seeing the grief of the friends and family he is moved to pray for her and raised her up. It stuck me how both accounts sound like the healing accounts of Jesus in the Gospels. Not surprising that Saint Peter, being the head of the Church, would be the mirror image of Christ showing affirmation of his authority given to him by Christ. Saint Peter is using his authority to spread the light of Christ by alleviating suffering.

As Christians, disciples of Christ, we too are called to use our God given talents to help ease pain and suffer and be joy, peace, and light to others. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that the words that he has spoken to them are “Spirit and life”. The words of the Gospel and readings from other books of scripture are meant to feed our souls, stoking the Light that lives in us. Saint Catherine’s quote at the beginning of this reflection says it best, “Drive out darkness and spread light.” To do this, we need to take time for prayer and reflection and then put that energy into action. The Saints would most likely say to do the ordinary things of life extraordinarily.

May the Light that was given to you at your Baptism continue to burn as light for others.

Linda Schork is a theology teacher at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 9:1-20
John 6:52-59

Reflection:

The scriptures of Easter season are filled with the Good News of the Risen Jesus! The responsorial psalm calls us to:

            “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News!”

What is this Good News?!  How do we as believers in the Risen Jesus go out and spread this good news to believers and non-believers alike?  What is the Good News in your life that you want to share because of the hope and promise of the Resurrection?!

Yesterday we celebrated with our first grandchild, Everly, as she received her First Holy Communion!  In his homily, Fr. Joe, a visiting pastor, shared memories of his First Communion received over 70 years ago.  He reminded the children and all of us that having received Jesus means that we carry Jesus in our hearts in a special way.  He challenged us to share this Good News as we participate in a life of service to our sisters and brothers!

We live in turbulent times, no doubt about this!  Here in the city of Louisville, we are reeling from a terrible shooting tragedy on Easter Monday that left five people dead along with nine people injured, one of those remains in critical condition.  It has been a time of church and civic leaders to come together with grieving family, friends and the community at large to pray for an end to this senseless violence. 

Where is the Good News being proclaimed in the midst of this heartbreak and sorrow?!  Good News continues to happen through the outpouring of service and love among the community and the commitment on the part of lawmakers to work more earnestly for justice.

Good News can be found in the conversion story of Saul as we read the familiar account found in Acts.  Saul repented and Paul became a believer in the new life we celebrated at Easter.  Paul dedicated his life to preaching the risen Jesus thus bringing many new converts into the fold.

Good News can be seen and heard as those eighty first communicants, their parents, families and friends share the blessings and nourishment they experienced in celebrating in Eucharist at the Table of the Lord. Jesus gives us hope and promise in these words from the Gospel of John:

            “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood,
            Remains in me and I in them, says the Lord.”

May we continue to be Resurrection people, sharing the Good News and hope it brings to all.  Alleluia!  Alleluia! Alleluia!

Theresa Secord is a Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 8:26-40
John 6:44-51

Reflection:

We have not seen the Father, but Jesus has… We believe in Him because of faith. And we who believe will have eternal life because of our faith. But it isn’t just because of the readings we share or the parables we hear – it is in every flower we see blooming, the amazement we feel when we see a bird fly into our trees that we may have never seen before; the wonder and awe of a life filled with his blessings! The blessings of children and grandchildren – watching people fall in love – a rushing brook or a beautiful sunny sky, even a dark cloudy sky with amazing blasts of lightning and booming thunder; these things support our faith because they are solely from God. 

We are encouraged every day to appreciate God’s gifts, to feel his warmth and love in our lives, to live and share his compassion and mercy with others. Are we aware? Are we thankful? Are we Christ to others? Finally, do we appreciate the greatest gift – the Eucharist – in our lives? Jesus gives of himself to us – as he multiplies the loaves and fish, he performs a beautiful miracle of feeding the multitudes, something he does for us every time we receive Eucharist. 

“This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Patty Masson is the Director of Adult Formation and Evangelization at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Spring, Texas.

Scripture:

Acts 8:1b-8
John 6:35-40

Reflection:

It’s a profound truth that bread only becomes true bread when it is consumed. In a sense, the visible bread ceases in the very act of fulfilling its purpose of satisfying hunger. Bread cannot fulfill its purpose by sitting on a grocery shelf or on the kitchen counter fresh out of the oven. We don’t simply stare at freshly baked bread or only take in its aroma. It is meant to be eaten, and in that act, bread truly becomes bread.

In today’s Gospel from John, Jesus says “”I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” Biblical references to Jesus as the Bread of Life are clearly eucharistic: “Then Jesus took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.’”

“Do this in memory of me.…” Do what? Is he only talking about the breaking of bread? No. It is intended to be so much more than a reenactment of the Last Supper. Jesus, like bread, becomes our savior in his death and resurrection. His life is fulfilled as he hands himself over to the Father.

Jesus calls us to do likewise. It is when we share our lives in service to others that we become truly who we are…sons and daughters of God. The mystery of faith is we must give ourselves away to find our true selves. In a sense, we become who God created us to be when we die to ourselves and nourish others. We are the Bread of Life in today’s world. When we say AMEN when receiving the Eucharist, we are saying “Yes, let it be so.” Let us be a source of life for others by sharing our lives as Jesus does.

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.

Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist

Scripture:

1 Peter 5:5b-14
Mark 16:15-20

Reflection:

On the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, our gospel reading promises that those who believe will “speak new languages” (Mk 16:17). Indeed, St. Mark, himself, is speaking a new language. He is proclaiming a story that is ever new, the Good News of Jesus Christ.  St. Mark is speaking a new, life-giving language to the people of his time–and to us in our own time.

Jesus’ Good News to humankind is God’s overwhelming love for us, a love made manifest in him.  The love which is Christ Jesus “desires mercy, not sacrifice” (Mt 9:13). This love has come into our world to “bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and release to prisoners” (Is 61:1).

One might wonder, where do we hear the new languages, promised to those who believe, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ today?

Fr. Bryan Massingale is speaking a new language when he writes “There is nothing necessary or fated about racial hierarchies or white racial privilege. These are the result of human agency; it does not have to be so. What humans break, divide, and separate, we can—with God’s help—also heal, unite, and restore” (Racial Justice and the Catholic Church, p. 180).

Pope Francis is speaking a new language when he preaches in a homily on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a major point of entry for refugees to Europe, and where thousands have perished along the way, “Since I first heard of this tragedy it has constantly come back to me like a painful thorn in my heart….God is asking each of us [as he asked Cain], ‘Where is the blood of your brother which cries out to me?’” The Pope asks us, “Has anyone grieved for the death of these brothers and sisters?…For the young mothers carrying their babies?…. We are a society that has forgotten how to weep, how to experience compassion—suffering with others….
     “Let us ask the Lord for the Grace to weep” (A Stranger and You Welcomed Me, pp. 3-6).

Fr. Don Senior, CP is speaking a new language when he writes “Anyone informed about the state of our environment and its impact on human life realizes the intrinsic connection of ecology with other fundamental issues facing humanity….The loss of clean water, adequate food and shelter, and meaningful employment—largely linked to growing environmental problems—has increased the suffering of the poor” (What does the Bible Say About Inclusion? pp. 96-97).

St. Paul of the Cross, mystic and founder of the Passionists, implores “O my God! Teach me how to express myself. Would that I were all aflame with love! More than that…that I could…extol the marvellous mercies that Uncreated Love has bestowed on us!” (Flowers of the Passion, p. 85).  

May we all share his prayer! O God, teach us all how to express ourselves!  Teach us all to speak new languages, aflame with love.

Lissa Romell is the Administrator at St. Vincent Strambi Community in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

Acts 2:14, 22-33
1 Peter 1:17-21
Luke 24:13-35

Reflection:

Three friends were on their lunch break and decided to take a walk together in Railroad Park downtown (Birmingham). They got into a conversation about current events, and although they weren’t arguing, the conversation got very intense.

As they were walking and conversing, a young man came up behind them and asked, “What have you been discussing as you take your walk?” The three looked at each other, wondering why this man intruded upon their conversation. But there was something about him that told them they needn’t worry. So, one of them, named Ashley said, “We were talking about all the terrible things that have been happening lately.” The man asked, “What things?” And Ashley said, “What do you mean ‘What things?’ Have you been living under a rock? Haven’t you heard about all the recent shootings? Haven’t you heard about the teenage boy who was shot because he knocked on the wrong door, or the woman who was shot because she pulled into the wrong driveway? Don’t you know there are serious divisions in our country, and so many people seem to hate each other just because they are different? And some people are worried about war. And no one seems to know what to do about it, or if they think they know, they can’t agree on what to do.”

And the man said, “Those indeed are terrible things. But we mustn’t give up. There are many instances in the Bible where God rescued His people. And in the Gospel of John, it says that God so loved the world that he gave His only Son to save the world. And throughout all the Gospels this Son, Jesus, spoke about love and forgiveness and mercy. Not only did He talk about those things, He lived them. He spoke about caring for those considered of no account. He healed many people and ate with those despised and scorned. And He told His followers not to be afraid, but to take up the crosses that came their way and go the extra mile in loving others. People had Him killed for talking and acting as he did. But He rose from the dead on the third day.” And with many other examples, the man talked about Jesus and about faith, hope and love.

As they continued walking, the man was about to take his leave of them, but they persuaded him to have lunch with them. When they finished lunch, the man vanished from their sight. They asked each other, “Who was that? Could it have been that Jesus he was talking about? Didn’t we feel a stirring in our hearts when he talked to us?” And the three friends decided that, even though they didn’t have a solution to the problems of the world, their encounter with Jesus inspired them to work together to help make the world a better place. And if anyone asked them why, they would tell the story of how they recognized Jesus in “breaking bread” with Him.

Thank you for indulging me in telling that story. We encounter the risen Jesus every time we celebrate the Eucharist. May His gift of His very self – poured out for us, inspire us to love and work with each other and help build up the kingdom.

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

Scripture:

Acts 6:1-7
John 6:16-21

Reflection:

See how these Christians love one another.  -Peter 1:22

The Hellenist widows in today’s gospel had many characteristics which early church members in Jerusalem would have regarded as strange and inferior to themselves.  Although the Jews were taken into Babylonian captivity for less than seventy-five years, the Hellenists’ speech, style of dress, customs and even style of worship would have marked them as different and therefore suspicious. They would have stood out from the usual members of “The Way/Jerusalem Christians”. Additionally, women had no social standings or individual rights, not even the right to inherit or own property without the supervision of a male relative.  Without male relatives to speak up for them, widows would have been especially vulnerable to the whims of the Jerusalem Christians, (They would not officially call themselves Christians for several more centuries).    

The intolerant attitudes towards the Hellenists were so pronounced that the unfair rations of community goods and food had to be brought to the attention of the Apostles.   While awaiting the anticipated return of Christ’s in the glory of His Kingdom, the early church adopted a communal living style where all resources were shared. As is to be seen, not all resources were shared equally nor reported in full.     

Peter wisely realized that the apostles, who were trained and commanded by Jesus to “Teach all nations,” could not be tied up with mundane “housekeeping” decisions. Governing would have to be done by others.   Seven good men were selected for their high moral character, devotion to service, and humble obedience to the Word of God. They had to change to structure of the social living experiment, even when change seemed threatening.

Our Church must be an agent of change, guided by the Holy Spirit.   As we age and grow, without change and adaptation we will simply stagnate, and thus be less able to discern God’s holy laws.    Lord, send forth your spirit to renew and revitalize your Church, which you promised would prevail against Satan and his unholy workings.  And help me to be more aware of my own biases and unfairness, dedicating myself to being more accepting and loving, Christ-like, each day.

Ray Alonzo is the father of three children, grandfather of two, and husband to Jan for over 45 years. He is a USN Vietnam Veteran, and a 1969 graduate of Mother of Good Counsel Passionist Prep Seminary. Ray currently serves on the Passionist Alumni Council.