Claire Smith

Scripture:

Jonah 3:1-10
Luke 11:1-4

Reflection:

We are given today two very popular scriptures. First is the continuation of the story of Jonah. We heard in yesterday’s readings how Jonah rejected the Lord’s mission for him.  His fear led to him boarding a ship, panicking in the midst of the storm, being tossed overboard and swallowed by a large fish, and eventually being spewed out on the shore.  Today, after dealing with this fear, he accepts this mission the Lord has given him, goes to Nineveh, and the people in Nineveh took to heart his words.  There was true conversion.  This won’t be the end of the story, however.  After being obedient to what God asked of Jonah, tomorrow we hear of Jonah’s reaction. 

Several years ago, when I was stationed in one of our popular retreat houses, a gentleman on the weekend retreat came in to see me.  He had explained that over a year ago he was invited to make a significant change in his occupation.  His entire retreat last year was about praying about this new opportunity, and when he left the retreat center, he truly felt God was asking him to say yes to this new endeavor.  Over the course of that year, nothing unfolded the way he had anticipated.  He certainly wasn’t in a better place financially.   When he came to see me, he explained the situation and simply asked, “Where did I go wrong in my discernment?”   In a nutshell, his was the Jonah story. He heard the call and wrestled with it. He eventually did what he thought God was asking of him, and it certainly didn’t turn out the way he wanted it. 

Over the years I’ve met many people who have heard the Lord’s call in numerous ways.  And the responses to the calls are as varied as the people themselves.  Some respond with enthusiasm. Some may respond with a cautious guard. Others just flat-out drag their feet. And there are some who refuse to respond.  You have probably witnessed the same thing.

It is interesting how Jesus responds to the book of Jonah.  In Matthew’s gospel, he makes two distinct references to the story of Jonah using it as an illustration in his teaching.  First, Jesus comments how the sign of Jonah led to repentance and conversion, and the second time Jesus references it as a prophecy for the Son of Man to spend three nights in the depths of the earth.  It reveals Jesus’ acute knowledge of what we now call the Old Testament. Moreover, we are given another example of how Jesus interprets his life in terms of the fulfillment of Scripture.

This Old Testament story is paired with that familiar Gospel text of Mary and Martha. For many years the church has used these two women as icons of two great traditions in the church: action and contemplation. While there always has been some truth in that, excessive conversation about this can become polarizing.  Simply put, Mary always ends up in a favorable light. Yet the opposite side has another truth; if we were all Mary’s nobody would ever be fed.  What Jesus points out to Martha is that she is anxious and worried.   And that seems to be a bigger concern to Jesus than what they have to eat or making sure she’s adequately following the cultural norms. 

So, both readings tie back to listening to the Lord and to prayer.  Psalm 46 initiates with reminding the singer of the awesomeness of the Lord and with that in the foreground then whatever fears, anxieties, or worries we may have will easily be calmed when we can “Be still and know that I am God.”

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the local superior of St. Vincent Strambi Community in Chicago, Illinois.

Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi

Scripture:

Jonah 1:1-2:2,11
Luke 10:25-37

Reflection:

Radical Love of all God’s Creation

Today Scriptures highlight God’s call to love all people, all creation – even “despised pagans” (1^st) and the person on the sidewalk or roadside or those who may seem “different” (Gospel). 

The Book of Jonah encourages pondering how God “helped” Jonah to respond to his call to preach repentance to the Ninevites.  A rough sea voyage and being swallowed by a large fish moved Jonah to prayer and change of heart– and then prophetic action!

The Gospel selection from Luke 10 relays the powerful parable of the Good Samaritan.  Jesus points out that all people are our neighbors, and we are to follow Jesus’ example in freely giving of ourselves to reach out to others, especially those in need of healing of mind or body.

Today’s we celebrate the life of St. Francis of Assisi who reached out in love to all of God’s creation.  The witness of his life helped renew the Church of the 12^th Century and set in motion his charism (spirit) that over centuries has motivated thousands to lives of praise, sacrifice, and service.

The Scriptures came alive for Francis of Assisi.  His carefree youth was radically changed by Jesus’ call; he renounced his personal possessions and redirected his life to evangelical poverty and preaching.  Francis’ life was charismatic, compassionate, and loving.  God used Francis to call others to radical discipleship; Francis thus compiled a “rule of life” and founded numerous religious communities of women and men.  He lived to age 44, sharing call of Jesus to reach out to and serve those in need.  He serves as a prime example for Pope Francis!  Yes, “…Rebuild my church…”

Today Jesus and Francis of Assisi challenge us to generously build up all of God’s Kingdom.  We are challenged by illness, violence, selfishness, poverty and hunger, hopelessness, injustice, etc. – all of which call out to us as did the injured victim on the road to Jericho in today’s Gospel.  As faith-filled disciples love for all creation is to be the heart of our lives, clothed in a simplicity and humility which characterized the life of St. Francis…our 21^st Century challenge!

The Collect Prayer of today’s Eucharist for the Feast of St. Francis:  “…Saint Francis was conformed to Christ in poverty and humility; grant that, by walking in Francis’ footsteps, we may follow your Son, and, through joyful charity come to be united with you….”  As the prayer attributed to St. Francis states, may we be channels of God’s peace!

Fr. John Schork, C.P. is the Vocation Director for Holy Cross Province. He lives at St. Vincent Strambi Community in Chicago, Illinois. 

Scripture:

Genesis 2:18-24
Hebrews 2:9-11
Mark 10:2-16

Reflection:

When we peach about, imitate, and put into action the values and attitudes of Jesus we must remember to witness to the entirety of his vision. To take selective quotations, isolated from their context or deeper meaning is to limit the good news and to constraint its message and meaning for us.

When Jesus spoke about the disintegration of a marriage he was also concerned for the wellbeing of women and their social and economic future in a society that was heavily weighted towards marriage, family, and extended family units. To be alone or cast out of a marriage was to be at risk in a society without many other social supports.

As distinct from our concepts of individualism, self-actualisation, personal rights, nuclear families, and many other aspects of modern society, his world was one fundamentally founded on the unity and stability of family. At the heart of these family units was the relationship of marriage.

Thus, his strong support of commitment and togetherness was also a strong support of women, children, social cohesion, and safety for all.

We must strive to see his world as it was and understand his challenging affirmations of marriage within this context.

For an inspirational vision of what the relationship and commitment of marriage is all about we might turn to the reading from Genesis today. Here we see a beautiful vision of the deep and life-giving value of the relationship between a woman and man.

God invites Adam to name the world around him, specifically in this case all the birds of the air and wild animals, but as we see, Adam cannot find a partner. What is more while Adam might give names to what he sees around himself, he cannot name who he is – he does not yet recognise himself. He can see what is around him and name it, but he cannot see himself fully yet and he certainly cannot know himself in such isolation surrounded by merely the natural world.

It is not until the creation of his equal, a woman, that he is able to affirm that they bear the same flesh, have equal value and are able to form partnership. When he sees his equal, Adam also sees himself and knows who he is.

Jesus sees in this original vision the model for marriage. A choosing of the other and the creation of a new reality, bigger than the sum of the two individual lives. A partnership that has its own unique flavour and is deserving of its own space – the two leave the family they have known to create a new community of life and they become one.

Jesus affirmed this relationship as one fundamentally in keeping with God’s hope and plan for humankind and for our mission on this earth.

It is not surprising then that by the time the Christian community gathered around the evangelist John, they would place his very first act and revelatory sign in the setting of a wedding. His mission in the world so often takes place and arises from within a marriage and is enfleshed in family life.

This is worth fighting for and protecting.

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

Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

Scripture:

Baruch 4:5-12, 27-29
Matthew 18:1-5, 10

Reflection:

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” -Matthew 18:10

Today’s Gospel reading concludes with this admonition from Jesus. He says this as he holds a “little one”, a child.

A dispute had arisen among the disciples about who is the greatest. Jesus says, “unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven”. Becoming like a child is not only a condition of greatness, but a condition of admission into the reign of God. As adults, we sometimes act in childish ways, but Jesus is calling us to something very different: a child-like dependence and trust in God that manifests as simplicity: a simple lifestyle of interdependence with others and all of Creation.

And Jesus says the simple (child-like) have powerful friends that are very close to God—angels. The belief that angels guard the righteous appears in the Old Testament, and very frequently in the literature of Judaism. For example, this passage from Psalm 91, often sung at funerals in the hymn “On Eagle’s Wings”, explains the role of angels as guardians:

“For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (Verses 11-12)

Throughout Scriptures, and also in world literature and art, angels are beloved as those close to God who serve as guardians and messengers. These excerpts from Chekhov’s play “Uncle Vanya” express the child-like faith of which Jesus speaks:

“We shall bear patiently the burdens that fate imposes on us. We shall work without rest for others, both now and when we are old. And when our final hour comes, we shall meet it humbly, and there beyond the grave, we shall say that we have known suffering and tears, that our life was bitter. And God will pity us…. then we shall enter on a bright and beautiful life. We shall rejoice and look back upon our grief here. A tender smile—and—we shall rest…. we shall hear the angels.”

Patty Gillis is a retired Pastoral Minister. She served on the Board of Directors at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit. She is currently a member of the Laudato Si Vision Fulfillment Team and the Passionist Solidarity Network.

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus

Scripture:

Baruch 1:15-22
Luke 10:13-16

Reflection:

The Grandeur of the “Little Way”

Today the Church celebrates a beloved saint, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as the “Little Flower.”  She lived a very sheltered life, joining the cloistered Carmelite convent in her hometown of Lisieux, France, when she was only 15 years old.  She died at the age of 24 from tuberculosis in 1984, never having left the convent.

Yet for someone whose life seemed destined for obscurity she became one of the most popular saints in the history of the Catholic Church.  Pope Pius X called her the “greatest saint of the modern era.”  Only twenty-eight years after her death, she was canonized in 1921 by Pope Pius XI. Her reputation for holiness had gripped the entire church and is still strong—her shrine in Lisieux remains one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in France, second only to Lourdes.  Even though she never went beyond her convent walls as an adult, she has been named as patron of missionaries (and of florists!) and her popularity spread through the church like wildfire and remains strong—her shrine in Lisieux is the most popular pilgrimage site in France after Lourdes itself.  And although her education was home-bound and rudimentary, she was declared a “Doctor” of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997—a title usually reserved for scholars and great teachers

What gives?!  Thérèse gripped the imagination of the Church precisely because of the paradox of her life.  She espoused what she called “the little way”—placing her entire life in the arms of God, filled with a tender love for Jesus—she dedicated every conscious act of her life as an act of love and devotion to the One who loved her.   She was thoroughly human and thoroughly committed to the gospel. No gesture, no act of enduring annoyance from her fellow sisters, no smile or bearing of suffering—was too little or insignificant for Thérèse to become an an occasion for an act of love.  She was a young woman, living a sheltered life, and having limited experiences, yet possessing a magnificent spirit that reached out to the entire world and incorporated its hopes and concerns in her daily prayer.

Pope Francis appealed to Thérèse’s “little way” in his 2015 encyclical on the environment Laudato Si’ (““On Care for Our Common Home”).  The Pope recognizes the overwhelming ethical and issues posed by human responsibility for the ravages that are now affecting our earth.  He urges people of good will, no matter what their religious convictions may be, to join with believers in addressing these problems.  Some people such as competent scientists and political leaders can have a substantial impact.  Others of us may despair of knowing how we can respond.  Here Pope Francis turns explicitly to the spirituality of the saint we honor today.  “St. Thérèse of Lisieux invites us to practice the little way of love, not to miss out on a kind word, a smile or any small gesture which sows peace and friendship.  An integral ecology is also made up of simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness.”  Such gestures, he notes, enable us to “build a civilization of love”—such a beautiful phrase.

Every one of us has access to such “simple daily gestures.”  I don’t know if it is my imagination or not, but I sense that under the tension of the pandemic, some of us drive more aggressively, are less patient with each other, more given to anger, and maybe more concerned with our own cares than those of our neighbors in need.  The example of St. Thérèse of Lisieux challenges us to act in a spirit of love and compassion in dealing with all the challenges of life, large and small.

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.

Scripture:

Nehemiah 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12
Luke 10:1-12

Reflection:

When I was a teenager, there was a shampoo commercial that had the quote, “and they’ll tell two friends, and so on, and so on…” This popped into my mind as I read today’s gospel message from Luke 10:1-12. If you think about all of the souls that could be affected by the sharing of the gospel, my goodness, what a changed world this would be! Jesus teaches those he has chosen how to be Christian apostles – what they should do if they are rejected, or their message is not well received.

As Christians, we run into this so often. As we try to share the love of God through his words in our words and deeds, it isn’t as easy for some as it is for others to proclaim an ownership to that knowledge that will lead others home. Try as I may, I realize that I can never be completely prepared to share this beautiful faith to others, especially if those being addressed are not receptive. It’s like when you have a disagreement with someone, and three hours later you think of the perfect thing to say. We never know how those interactions will be received!

Can we just “shake the dust from our feet and move on” if we are rebuffed, challenged, or laughed at as we attempt to be Christ’s hands and feet? Difficult as it is, we have to be prepared to release and move on, knowing that we prayerfully and with a pure heart, did our best, and hopefully learned from the experience!

Are you one of the children of Christ who will go out and bring as many as you can to the Father? Are you willing to contribute to building the kingdom of God? It only takes a love for the Father and a determination of spirit (and don’t forget reading the Word…) to bring about change in our world. You can be that person – the one to bring followers into the folds of love from our Father in Heaven!

Patty Masson supports the Passionists from Spring, Texas.

May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels

Scripture:

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 or Revelation 12:7-12
John 1:47-51

Reflection:

   Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. – Daniel 7:10

Depictions of angels can be found in most specialty shops, catalogs and art stores in the forms of small, medium and large statues, pictures, on prayer cards, garden art and numerous other objects. They can be found in stain glass windows and statuary of the great cathedrals of Europe and around the world. We grow up knowing the guardian angel prayer and hope we haven’t frightened ours off by the time we have “grown up”. In the Catholic faith there are the nine choir of angels beginning with the lowest to highest ranking; Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim. In the Church we celebrate the archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael who are mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. Michael’s name means, “Who is like God?” We have a prayer calling on St. Michael for protection. This archangel is best known for his battle with evil, as in the Book of Revelation. Gabriel is known as the messenger angel who announced to Mary that she was going to bear God’s Son. Gabriel’s name means, “God is My Strength” and is known as the Archangel of Wisdom, Revelation, Prophecy, and Visions. Raphael’s name means, “Healing Power of God”. We find this Archangel in the book of Tobit. He was sent in an answer to Tobit’s prayers and the prayers of his daughter. In this book of the Old Testament, Raphael is companion, guide, and heals Tobit of his blindness.

In today’s Gospel reading from John, Nathanael has come to see if what Philip said of Jesus is true. He discovers that Jesus knows exactly who he is and so he proclaims that Jesus is the “Son of God”. Jesus’ response is a reflection of Jacob’s ladder with, “you will see the heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”. He also seems to be foretelling what will transpire at his Resurrection.

Angels are spiritual beings who assist God with those tasks on earth and in heaven. In the readings today we read that, “Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him.”(Dn 7:9 – 10) What a sight that must be! All of those spiritual beings tending to God and doing what God commands. As I picture it in my mind’s eye it seems as if Heaven is a very busy place. During the Triduum I have pondered what the angels were doing as Christ went through his Passion, death and Resurrection. I can imagine Michael standing ready with an army of angels, waiting for God’s command. Gabriel watching with great sadness and Raphael wanting to heal broken hearts. And then great joy with Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension. And most likely they too understood the plan that God had in mind and tended to Christ on the day of Resurrection and the Ascension.

Today is a good day to reflect on these Archangels. Read and reflect on your favorite Archangel story and see where God leads you.

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

Scripture:

Zechariah 8:20-23
Luke 9:51-56

Reflection:

As Jesus and his disciples entered a Samaritan village on their way to Jerusalem, they were not welcomed.  James and John were immediately on the defense and wanted to retaliate!

            “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”

We are all so very human and like James and John, we want to even the score when we feel we have been wronged or some injustice has been wrought upon those we love.  We have become a people quick to anger and slow to forgive!  Our world is filled with violence and unrest!  It has become the norm to pick up a gun or throw the first punch which ultimately ends in tragedy.  When did we become a people who favor revenge over reconciliation?!

The first step to peace and reconciliation is to remember that God is with us!  God is love!  God sees all people and creation with the eyes of love and as the love children we are, we are called to see the love of God in others, especially those we don’t even like!  Hard stuff!!!!

“Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”  This statement of faith closes out our first reading today. God is with us, no matter our nationality, creed or color, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, young or old. If we truly believe this, then what is stopping us from taking back our neighborhoods, churches, schools, families, cities, towns and country.  It’s way past time to promote reconciliation rather than revenge, to live in love rather than anger.

It is time to recognize and appreciate the goodness of God found in the beauty of family, faith communities, friends, nature, moral and just leaders.  Jesus rebuked his disciples and journeyed on to another village.  It is time for us to do the same.  Let us begin in small ways, maybe making that phone call to someone we haven’t spoken to in a long time, get reconnected, be willing to say I’m sorry, let’s begin again!  Let us be willing to sit at the same table with those we totally disagree with the goal of working together to find a common ground.

Jesus is calling us to move on.  Jerusalem is waiting to welcome us.  The kingdom is open to all God’s children!  Our hope rests in walking with Jesus!  Let’s get moving Church!!!!!!

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