Claire Smith

Scripture:

Daniel 9:4b-10
Luke 6:36-38

Reflection:

Today’s readings could fittingly be described as a “crash course” in Christianity because they tell us everything we need to know: We are sinners. God is forgiving, compassionate, and merciful. And we are called to be the same by extending to others the mercy and forgiveness God lavishly and unstintingly bestows upon us.

The first reading from the Book of Daniel gets straight to the point: “We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and laws.” That heartfelt confession strips away any consoling illusion of innocence, any soothing pretense of undefiled goodness and virtue. When we hear those words (or whisper them silently) our own failures to do good are suddenly and painfully remembered. We recall times we did something that wounded a neighbor we were given to love. We ruefully recollect little betrayals; thoughtless acts born in bitterness, anger, or resentment; or simply the countless occasions we had a chance to love and didn’t bother. No wonder we find ourselves nodding in assent when the people unanimously exclaim that “we are shamefaced even to this day.”

Thankfully, that is not the end of the story because, as today’s psalm response continually reiterates, God does “not deal with us according to our sins.” Despite our persistent waywardness, despite our almost chronic hardness of heart, the God we reject and betray loves us all the same, responding to our sin with endless mercy, compassion, and love.

We show our gratitude by offering that same compassion, forgiveness, and love whenever we can to whomever we can. When we do, we fulfill Jesus’ command in today’s gospel: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” To take that summons to heart, and to live by it day-after-day, is to know the abundant new life that is found in being a recovering sinner.

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 of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 9:28b-36

Reflection:

Last week, we reflected on the temptation of Jesus in the desert, when the devil tempted Jesus to betray His true self; to serve Himself instead of being obedient to the Father’s plan, coming to serve rather than to be served. We reflected on our own temptation to be false to who we are, and our call to be true to who God created us to be.

Just as the Gospel reading for the First Sunday of Lent is always the account of Jesus being tempted in the desert, the Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Lent is always the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop. This year we have Luke’s account (Luke 9:28b – 36). At the Transfiguration, Peter and James and John get a glimpse of the fullness of Jesus that is to come. During the temptation, Jesus was tempted to betray His true self. Here, Jesus’ true self is revealed. When Jesus is transfigured, a voice from heaven declares, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” Luke tells us that on the mountaintop, Moses and Elijah appear and speak “of the exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.” Jesus reveals everything about being the Son of the Father in His Passion, death, and Resurrection. I think Peter, James and John do not speak of this at the time was because they didn’t fully understand what it meant until Easter, or even Pentecost.

Just as Jesus’ true self was revealed on the mountain, our true selves are to be revealed in the world. As I was thinking about this, I thought of the song, “Child of God”: “If anybody asks you who I am, who I am, who I am; if anybody asks you who I am, tell him I’m a child of God.” I also thought of Philippians 4:5: “Your kindness should be known to all.” There is also 1 Peter 3:15: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you a reason for your hope.” There is another old song: “and they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love; yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” And again, there is this refrain: “If anybody asks you, where I am going, where I am going, soon. I’m goin’ up yonder…I’m goin’ up yonder to be with my Lord.”

We are called to live our lives in such a way that reveals that we do believe that we are indeed children of God; that, in following Jesus, we are willing to show kindness to everyone, and demonstrate our love for each other and for the world, in working for justice and peace. We are to live as people of hope, helping now to building up the kingdom, and looking forward to being with our Lord in heaven.

To be true to who we are, we need God’s grace. We need to be open to God transfiguring us, to be “the change we want to see.”

May our lives be a revelation of God’s love in Jesus Christ. May we do our part in helping “transfigure” our world into the place God created it to be.

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

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 26:16-19
Matthew 5:43-48

Reflection:

Lenten Growth:  Beyond the Ordinary

Our Lenten journey continues…and today’s Scriptures offer insights into the growth that is part and parcel of Lent’s encouragement of renewed prayer, penance, and almsgiving / service. 

Our selection from Deuteronomy highlights Moses’ words of encouragement to the people of his day – and us:  walk in God’s ways, observe God’s commandments, listen to God’s voice.  Moses reminds us that God loves us as His sacred people, with special dignity.  We’re encouraged to foster this special “covenant” dignity / relationship in our every thought, word, and deed.  Simple!  And yet a challenge.

The Gospel selection from Matthew 5 relates Jesus challenging us to grow beyond the “minimum” standard of effort:  to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.  Jesus even spells out some of what that means, what growth is entailed:  …love our enemies…pray for those who persecute us…greet everyone…be perfect!  As we continue our Lenten Gospel pondering, we see Jesus backing up his words with his deeds…to the ultimate gift of Himself in love as he dies upon the Cross.  For we 21^st Century Christians, that’s a tall challenge!  And with God’s grace this Lent…it’s doable!

These days of Lent encourage us to grow in love, as individuals and as the Church.  Jesus invites us to grow beyond the fears and pessimism and selfishness that limit our love today – to see and love as God sees and loves each of us, sisters and brothers in God’s family.  As Jesus notes, the sun shines on the whole world, and the rain falls on the just and the unjust; no part of creation is excluded from God’s love.  Our love is to be all-inclusive.  May our focused Lenten experiences of prayer, penance, and almsgiving / service encourage abundant growth in our love of God, neighbor, and ourselves! 

A prayer from fellow Passionist, Fr. Victor Hoagland CP, guides us:

Lord, teach me the love you call me to,
The love sun-like, shining on all,
The love rain-like, falling on any ground,
Looking for no response or return.
Show me the love in the great word you spoke,
The dark wood of your cross.
I learn love slowly, Lord…teach me.
Amen.

Fr. John Schork, C.P. serves as the Province Vocation Director and also as Local Superior of the Passionist Community of Holy Name in Houston, Texas.  

Scripture:

Ezekiel 18:21-28
Matthew 5:20-26

Reflection:

In recent weeks, we’ve encountered Jesus’s sharp critique of hypocrisy, mainly directed at the religious leaders of his time. In modern English, he called them phonies, lip-servers and imposters. This naturally prompts a difficult question: How susceptible to hypocrisy are we, ourselves? It’s a question worth wrestling with because the answer is often “darn right susceptible.”

Our faith provides us with a powerful moral compass, a guide. We think of the Ten Commandments, which are foundational principles. However, the recent Gospel readings from Matthew go deeper, refining that compass with challenges that touch upon the honest truth of our actions – from basic laws to acts of mercy, rites, and rituals.

Let’s return to the heart of hypocrisy. It’s easy to ask, ‘Do we only help people experiencing poverty when others are watching? Do we repay loans merely to maintain a good credit score?’ Our integrity can sometimes be conditional, limited by a desire for approval or self-aggrandizement. We all have moments where our actions don’t perfectly align with our so-called beliefs.

In our contemporary Western society, where secularization has significantly impacted religious institutions, the public discourse on morality can get awfully thin. While honesty may earn widespread criticism, it underscores the difficulty of living authentically in a world that often bows to amoral freedom over any genuine moral compass.

Consider the commandment, ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.’ Jesus means more than simple lies. In our current climate, we see the proliferation of fact-less statements and the unjust portrayal of historical figures, often justified by a distorted sense of ‘the greater good.’ We must ask ourselves, what does such deliberate deception mean? What impact does it have on our conscience, never mind our souls?

Similarly, ‘Thou shalt not steal’ extends far beyond swiping cash from a wallet. What about broken promises, unpaid pledges, or the opportunistic use of bankruptcy laws?

We often fall short. We all grapple with the tension between our ideals and our actions. Let’s consider how we can cultivate greater authenticity and integrity. How can we move from simply performing religious acts to genuinely embodying the values we profess? How can we gear our actions to reflect the light of our faith truly? How, indeed, can we save our souls?

Jack Dermody is president of Share Our Gifts, Inc., a proactive group founded by Passionist Alumni dedicated to serving the poor and suffering. He is also editor of CrossRoads, the newsletter for the Passionist Alumni Association. He lives in Glendale, Arizona.