Claire Smith

Scripture:

Tobit 12:1, 5-15, 20
Mark 12:38-44

Reflection:

Throughout this past week the church has been listening to the readings from the Old Testament book of Tobit. It is a skillfully constructed story that combines morality, prayer, and East Asian folklore. The story setting places Tobit in the Assyrian territory of Nineveh. Outside of his native land of Israel, Tobit faces affliction, bad breaks, and misfortunes.   The story becomes popular beyond the Jewish circles.  Adapted by numerous cultures, the wisdom in the story reminds the listener that amidst all the things life may throw at you, be faithful to God, and lean on God.  Patients, endurance, and prayer are all elements of wisdom to be learned in life and passed on to the next generation.

We see that also in the gospel today. The ability of the widow to trust in God beyond her financial security.   Yet Jesus also calls into accountability those who “devour the houses of widows.” 

Both of these themes ring true for us in our world today.  This pandemic has shifted financial resources.  Financially, nothing is as predictable now as it seemed to have been two years ago.  Some have lost a tremendous amount.  Others find themselves ahead.   While still others keep shifting their earnings, expenses and assets like a big shell game.  And, with all that going on, we still have those who prey on others. Coercion, intimidation, manipulation still continue through all these years pending its greedy face against the vulnerable.

Our Universal Church celebrates this day the feast of Boniface, a great Missionary in Europe who was instrumental in reorganizing the church in Germany and the Frankish kingdom. Living in the eighth century as a Benedictine monk, he was sent to preach the Gospel in Germany, earning the title “Apostle of Germany.” His respect earned him greater responsibility as he was named Abbot and eventually Archbishop by Pope Zachary.  He died as a martyr when a group of barbarous pagans interrupted the confirmation of a group of neophytes.  It wasn’t a storybook ending.  Boniface was living in a conflictual society and yet remained devoutly focused on Christ.  The poor widow of the gospel is also focused on the providential care of God. And the wisdom of Tobit in the first reading reminds us to continue to thank, praise, and bless God.  Ultimately, the refrain from our Responsorial Psalm needs to be etched into our hearts this day— Blessed be God, who lives forever.

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

Scripture:

Tobit 11:5-17
Mark 12:35-37

Reflection:

Praise the Lord, my soul!!

“Praise the Lord, my soul!”  These words from Psalm 146 are part of today’s Responsorial Psalm in today’s celebration of the Eucharist.  That bold phrase helps fuse the Scripture reading from the Book of Tobit with the selection from Mark’s Gospel – and provide us today with a heartfelt, simple prayer.

All this week we have walked with Tobit of the Old Testament in the 1^st Scripture readings of the Mass.  Tobit was blinded by a freak accident and turned to God for help.  In time, that help came from God working through Tobit’s son, Tobiah, as he returned from his wedding celebration with a “unique” medicinal “cure” for his father’s blindness, offered him by an angel:  fish gall.  The gall worked miraculously, and Tobit’s eyesight was restored, to the glory of God and the amazement of Tobit’s contemporaries.  Tobit’s subsequent words are filled with joy, excitement, and blessing – first to God, and then to all those Tobit met after his cure.  “Praise the Lord, my soul!”

Today’s short Gospel selection from Mark 12 shares Jesus teaching in the temple area, citing His relationship as “the Christ” to the person of the great Jewish ancestor, David; and “…the great crowd heard this with delight.”  We too delight in Jesus as Lord of all Creation, and we pray “Praise the Lord, my soul!”

This month of June 2021 gives us reason to add our personal words of praise for our loving God.  No doubt, challenges and difficulties exist for us and our global family; we need healing of body and spirit, individually and corporately.  Significant effort is being made to deal with the global COVID pandemic; we in the U.S.A. are moving towards a “new normal”.  Relationships are being renewed as we safely gather as families and faith communities; plus, long-awaited birthdays and anniversaries and graduations and vacations…yes! 

Like the healed and grateful Tobit, we thank God for the gift of life today.  With Jesus Crucified as our loving Savior and example, we call out our praise to God – AND we renew our commitment to continue growing in love and service of our sisters and brothers worldwide.

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

Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

Scripture:

Tobit 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a
Mark 12:28-34

Reflection:

It has been called ‘the golden rule’ and indeed it is. In one unique combination of ancient wisdom Jesus sums up the entire Law in a prophetic manner and bequeaths to all his followers the key to life.

What God wants from us – far more than ritual or material offerings, is the gift of love. Perhaps this should not surprise us unduly, after all we are made in God’s own image and likeness and God is love. While it is not possible for us to fully describe God, we learn of God’s nature and deepest desires from Jesus words, lived example and witness to us.

In this light we can understand that the essence of God’s life is relationship. This deep reality is embedded in creation itself (witnessed even at a subatomic level where matter becomes particles in relationship to each other) and seen in all life that we know (patterns of relationship in nature and the environment and most clearly in the human person).

We are relational beings, made for communion with one another. In the vision of Jesus this relational circle is widened to incorporate our relationship with God.

To live a life committed to others and to their care, to exercise a nurturing stewardship of the earth, to seek to go beyond ourselves not just in exploration but in sacrificial loving of another – all this is but expression of the innate desire to form union that God has placed within us.

For Jesus to speak of loving with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength is for him to name the spectrum of human capacity and to suggest we orient our entire being towards love of God and others.

In saying this Jesus knows too that God extends love to us in the same way. God’s love for us is likewise a total gift of self to us. God’s love is endless, forgiving, nurturing, sacrificial and conveys joy and grace in abundance.

We are attracted to this love at our deepest levels. While some do not see the source and creator of such love and do not acknowledge God, they nevertheless experience the warmth of God’s love (and thus God’s presence) in the world. This is our task then – to be the conduit of God’s love as it seeps into human environment. When we love our neighbour, we share in the mission of God in our world – a mission revealed by Jesus and continued under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

This is the reign of God. Let us not live far from it.

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

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

What a contrast in mindset there is in the protagonists in today’s Scriptures! In the first reading, blind Tobit and grieving Sarah spend their days pouring out their hearts to God in an anguish that mirrors the anguish of their exiled Jewish people. Both are resigned to death as an end to their misery, as Tobit prays:

It is better for me to die than to live,
because I have heard insulting calumnies,
and I am overwhelmed with grief.

Sarah considers suicide after being ridiculed for her inability to keep a husband. All of her husbands had died. And then Sarah remembers her elderly father and the distress and ridicule her suicide would cause him. So, she turns her heart to God, and prays:

Blessed are you, O Lord, merciful God,
and blessed is your holy and honorable name.
Blessed are you in all your works forever!

God hears Tobit’s and Sarah’s prayers and sends the angel Raphael, whose name means “God heals”.

By contrast, in today’s Gospel reading we have the Sadducees, Jewish religious leaders who were spending their time thinking up trick questions to ask Jesus. They wanted to justify their disbelief in the resurrection of the dead; so, they asked a question that cannot be answered about a woman who was married seven times:

At the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be?
For all seven had been married to her.

Jesus responds that they are misled because they do not know the power of God.

Today after Mass, I shared a meal with a young woman who has the mindset of Tobias and Sarah. Coming from an abusive family and coping with addiction; and currently exiled to a group home, she said she is ready to “take the 2^nd Step”. She explained that she has started attending AA meetings, even though she is still drinking, because she “came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity” (second step of Alcoholics Anonymous). My new friend is coming to know the power of God, of which Jesus speaks, the God who sends healers into our lives when we humbly pray for help.

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.

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

Be sure to read this unique scene found in today’s reading from the Book of Tobit.  It is one of the most true-to-life accounts in all the Scriptures, one that can easily translate into today’s world and into the dynamics of contemporary families.

The account begins with the tragic accident that renders Tobit blind.  While Tobit is sleeping in his courtyard on a hot afternoon, birds perched overhead in a tree leave their droppings fall into Tobit’s eyes.  Even after a doctor has prescribed some with various herbal salves, Tobit loses his eyesight (later in the Book of Tobit his sight will be miraculously restored).  For years thereafter, his extended family takes care of him.

The scene in today’s reading takes place while Tobit is still suffering from his blindness and frustrated by it.  To make ends meet, Tobit’s wife Anna, a skilled weaver, works for a living.  Once, apparently, very pleased by her work, a patron not only paid her in full but gave her as a bonus the gift of a young goat suitable for feeding her family. 

When Anna brings the young goat home, it starts to bleat, disturbing the blind Tobit and causing him to angrily cry out, “Where did this goat come from? Perhaps it was stolen!  Give it back to the owners; we have no right to eat stolen food!”

No doubt shocked and disappointed at her husband’s response, Anna exclaims, “It was given to me as a bonus over and above my wages.”  But Tobit will not relent and becomes all the angrier, demanding she give the goat back to its owners.

But Anna will have the last word, “Where are your charitable deeds now?  Where are your virtuous acts?  See! Your true character is finally showing itself!”

Does this sound in any way familiar?  As a congregation, we are to respond to this reading with the usual formula: “The Word of the Lord…Thanks be to God!”  And what is the Word of God here exactly?  It is interesting that some older commentaries defended Tobit in this scene—pointing out that the arrogance of Anna is one of the consequences of a woman working outside the home, to the shame of her husband who is the head of the family.

But one senses that the original meaning of this domestic scene—and one likely to be understood by most women today for sure—is that Tobit was the offending character.  His frustration and anger about his debilitating accident and the fact that Anna is the one providing for the family, wounds his male pride most of all.  No matter what his other genuine virtues may be, he fails here in appreciating the love and sacrifice his wife is providing for his family.

No wonder this story has been the subject of art and commentary through the centuries, including a famous painting by Rembrandt.  Married couples will recognize how incidents like this can be a source of tension, especially when one spouse overlooks the contributions that the other makes to the life of the family.  And the scene also gives voice to what many thoughtful women feel today, both in society and in the church, when their rightful role is overlooked or suppressed.

In his recent book, Let us Dream, Pope Francis notes that whenever he has been asked to preach at a wedding, he offers three words or phrases that married couples should always keep in mind: 1) “May I?”  by which he means that no important decision or concern should ever happen without consulting one’s spouse; 2) “Thank you” – neither spouse should ever take the other for granted but take every opportunity to express their love and appreciation for each other. And 3)—perhaps the Tobit lesson— “Forgive me.”  Enduring married love depends a lot on the ability of each spouse to ask the other’s forgiveness for any hurt inflicted.

Words of advice and the Word of God that the virtuous Tobit should remember in today’s reading!

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.

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…

I’m relatively certain most of us know today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke.  After hearing the news from the angel that she would give birth to the Messiah, Mary 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 about which I could write.  Elizabeth was thought barren but was now carrying John the Baptist.  And Mary, amid a very interesting marital situation, has a heavenly messenger tell her she’s carrying the Son of God.  Both women were in the middle of truly miraculous pregnancies, having had remarkable and world-changing encounters with God.  And then there is 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 is something else in this passage… something that 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 45 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.

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 Elizabeth and John recognized Christ within Mary.  Ok, sure… Jesus was literally “within Mary” at the time, but I know you get my point.

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.

Today’s Gospel uncovers 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 replaced “Why am I here?” with much less simple questions I now ask myself instead.  Let’s take a moment and ask them of ourselves together right now:

Who have you been Christ to today?
Who has been Christ to you today?
How have I failed in these?

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 Passionist Retreat Center.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40
Romans 8:14-17
Matthew 28:16-20

Reflection:

Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday, a day that represents to us so much that the Father has given us – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus doesn’t say, “Hey – go make lots of money!” He says to make disciples of all nations. We are reminded that as disciples, we are always in touch with the one true God, ever present, ever merciful. We know that no matter what we experience in this life, that we are never alone – He is with us.

And He says he will be with us until the end of the age; this means forever, for eternity, until the end of time. Remember, we will NEVER be alone! Please extend the invitation to Jesus to be with you, to guide you, to nourish and support you.

Patty Masson supports the Passionists from Spring, Texas.