Claire Smith

Feast of the Epiphany of Jesus Christ

Scripture:

Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12

Reflection:

An author who had spent twelve months with a nomadic tribe in northern Pakistan once suggested that nomads were probably the only people in the world who were at home wherever they travelled. They had a connection with the land and found their meaning and sense of belonging in the place they were – regardless of location. More so they depended on each other, on traditions, ancient wisdom and on the experiences of the generations before them. The author contrasted them to many people who spend so much time moving about and going from experience to experience, place to place and even sometimes, relationship to relationship – always seeking a place to be at home, but never finding it.

In some ways such people are trapped in a pattern that the ancient Romans described by the term a ‘ignis fatuus’ – a false light. People wandering in the desert would see a reflection of light on the horizon or a far distant hill, and thinking was a campfire would move towards it seeking refuge and safety. Of course, as they get closer, the light moved further away and so they were doomed to an endless and fruitless search for the safety they sought.

How different however is the story of the ‘Magi’ who are also depicted as followers of the light and are likewise wanderers; or perhaps a more accurate depiction would be to call them ‘seekers’. Theirs is a journey of discovery yes, but it is one fuelled by faith and trust and they seek only the truth.

They become a model of faith, but of a faith that seeks deeper understanding and closer relationship to the source of life – Jesus the Light of the world.

Every Christian is called to this same journey.

The Magi teach us also that we need to be discerning and prudent in our decisions too – certainly, we ca seek advice and direction from all sources, but we must measure these different voices according to the depth of their sincerity too. Thus, the Magi listen to the directions of Herod and his court, but with a listening ear that is also tuned to God’s prompting, they see through the deceitful intentions of Herod and do not become trapped in his plan

Let us enter 2021 seeking the Lord above all and doing so with a spirit that is attuned to God and discerning of all we hear.

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

Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church.

Scripture:

1 John 2:22-28
John 1:19-28

Reflection:

These two men lived in the early Church, in the 4^th century; yet their challenges were similar to those we face today. They struggled to balance study, prayer, and work throughout their lives. They also lived in a time of great political and religious polarization.

As a young man, Basil enjoyed stimulating university life in Caesarea, Constantinople, and Athens. There he met Gregory Nazianzen, a quiet, scholarly man. The two became close friends.

Basil traveled through the East and studied monastic life. He formed his own monastic group in what is now Turkey. His friend Gregory joined him for five years. With input from Gregory, Basil composed a rule of life for monks, which still influences the monasteries in the Eastern Church, as well as Benedictine monks in the West. But he could not stay in his quiet monastery for long. He was ordained a priest, and ultimately became Archbishop of Caesarea.

Gregory also left the monastic life—to care for his father, who was a bishop. When Gregory got home, he was ordained a priest, although he did not think himself worthy. He was later consecrated a bishop by Basil and watched over his father’s diocese; and later he was bishop of the great see of Constantinople.

As bishops, both Basil and Gregory were called upon to defend the Church from Arianism, one of the most damaging heresies in the history of the Church: it denied the divinity of Christ. In 325, the Church called the Council of Nicaea to deal with the Arian crisis. But the Arians continued to gain power and political influence throughout the 4^th century. Even so-called “Christian” emperors were Arian, which put Bishops Basil and Gregory in conflict with civil authority.

As bishops, St. Basil and St. Gregory ministered to their deeply divided flocks; people were often contentious and confused by the heresy. Gregory is known for his sermons on the Trinity. Basil is also known for his preaching, as well as his pioneering work in establishing systemic responses to poverty: hospitals, soup kitchens, and guest houses. Both Basil and Gregory are remembered for their contributions to the Church’s theology of the Incarnation and Holy Trinity as a response to Arianism.

In today’s first reading, written some two hundred years earlier, the Apostle John could be speaking to the Arians when he says: “Anyone who denies the Son, does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well”.

As 2021 begins, let us ask for help from Saints Basil and Gregory as we seek to balance our study, prayer, and work this year. Let us stand on the shoulders of these spiritual fathers as we contemplate sacred mysteries and engage in compassionate dialog in a divided world.

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.

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Scripture:

Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:16-21

Reflection:

This is a feast that has evolved over the years.  Originally, it celebrated the Circumcision of Jesus—honoring his rite of initiation as a member of God’s people, confirming the essential Jewish roots of Jesus and Christianity itself.  The name of the feast was changed in 1969 to honor Mary as the Mother of God.

Both designations, in fact, recall the most profound conviction of our Christian faith—that Jesus is both truly divine and truly human.  Obviously, the ritual of “circumcision,” still sacred to Judaism, can be experienced only by a human being with an authentic human body.  And Mary’s title of “Mother of God” also affirms the astounding fact of Jesus’ humanity.  Some in the early church were leery of this title for Mary but the Council of Ephesus in 431 solemnly declared that Mary should bear the title of theotokos, in Greek literally meaning “God bearer” or Mother of God.  This was affirmed because in Jesus the divine and human are fused into one person.  In bearing the infant Jesus in her womb, Mary also bore the Divine and Eternal Word.  The divinity and humanity of Christ were not to be separated but, rather, celebrated as an astonishing reality of God’s provident love for humanity.

The Scripture readings for this feast celebrate this glorious mystery of the Incarnation.  The gospel passage from Luke’s infancy narrative recalls the joys of Christmas just celebrated.  Guided by a chorus of angels, the shepherds come to the manger to pay homage to a “Savior, who is the Messiah.”  That “savior” is a vulnerable infant in the arms of his mother Mary—what more could the gospel do to emphasize the humanity of Jesus?

Luke presents Mary as pondering these marvels, as Luke notes, she “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” Later she and Joseph would have the infant circumcised, further affirming his place within the people Israel.

The rest of the readings reflect the exuberant joy of this moment.  The first, from the Book of Numbers, cites the famous blessing that God instructs Moses to give to the people, a blessing repeated throughout history: “The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!  The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.”  The responsorial Psalm 67 also praises God’s abiding love and care for Israel—a love that would find its most compete expression in the appearance of Jesus himself: “May God bless us in his mercy!  May the peoples praise, you, O God; may all the peoples praise you!”

The second reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians and contains Paul’s only reference to Mary when he notes that Jesus, “God’s Son,” was “born of a woman, born under the law”—a description that captures at once, Jesus’ divine status as God’s Son and his humanity as one “born of a woman” and born Jewish, “under the Law.”  The mission of Jesus, Paul goes on to note, was to affirm our own status as children of God.  Now we, too, along with Christ, can pray to God as our “father.”  Paul uses here a telling word for God as father.  The Spirit enables us to call God “Abba, Father.”  Abba is the Hebrew diminutive for “father,” used as an affectionate term by both children and adults to address a beloved parent (Imma is the parallel Hebrew term for “mother”).  At a moment of great anxiety, Jesus himself prays to his Father as Abba in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:36),

Today we put behind us 2020 and welcome a New Year, 2021. I doubt if anyone will think nostalgically about the tragic year just past.  So much loss of life, so many hardships, so much strife, so many divisions in our own country.  But this feast of Mary, Mother of God, and the tender love of God for us that it proclaims, can be a source of hope.  God has not abandoned us and will be with us as we look to a renewed future.

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:

1 John 2:18-21
John 1:18

Reflection:

 And the Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

So, do you remember Christmas?  I know… seems so very long ago.  Even more shocking, do you remember Advent?   So much has happened since we first heard the cry of the Prophet, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”

And now, here we stand on the cliff of the end of 2020 — and I think, for most people, it’s a welcome ending.  And this New Year is viewed by most as the impetus to take an eraser to their past and resolve to be better people: to repair broken relationships, to restore themselves emotionally, to refresh themselves spiritually, to rebuild themselves physically… an opportunity to just get it right.

Let me tell you about something interesting I notice pretty often. Actually, I hear it at just about every single funeral at which I minister or attend. If I were a betting man, I’d bet you’ve also heard it. Shoot… you’ve probably said it. I have.

“Tell people you love them while they can still hear it.”

It’s a universal thing when people grieve, I think, that they want to help others not make the same mistakes they made and so offer suggestions like that one. Well meaning, and I think it’s beautiful, and absolutely we must do it. We must. And then I get sidetracked and time passes and I don’t do it at all.  You too?  We’re human, I guess, but God continues to give us  opportunities to try again… to get it right.

In meditating on this thought, I was struck with the realization that we just came from such a time.  We Catholics should have been yelling “Happy New Year” on the First Sunday of Advent.  No, I’m not crazy (no comments!!!) … with Advent starting just 5 short weeks ago, we began a new Liturgical Year (Cycle B), with the call to “Prepare, ye, the way.”

Prepare.  Did we prepare?  Are you like me in the feeling of regret over all I didn’t get to in Advent… in 2020?  Advent calls us to get ready, that’s for sure. But not gifts or food or parties.  I’m wondering now if my spirit was ready for Christmas?  I wonder if I made the room in the inn of my heart for Jesus to be born?

Emmanuel.  God, with us. As it says in today’s Gospel, “The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.”

I think I may have missed the Advent opportunity to sweep out the junk from my life so to make room for a new Bethlehem in my heart. Maybe you also feel the same sense of “whoops” that I do. 

But there is good news – 2021 starts tomorrow.  We have the chance to create our resolutions anew with a focus on what’s really important. And that’s not all – God gifts us with endless opportunities to come home.  To get it right.  To throw ourselves on the inexhaustible love and mercy of our creator.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation, the daily Eucharist, Lent, Advent… every single breath… all points in time to put a step in a better direction. 

To “testify to the true light” by the way we live our lives.

So, friends, what’s your first step? 

Dear God of new years, thank you for the gift of fresh beginnings. Grant us the grace of a broom with which we can sweep away all that keeps us from recognizing and welcoming you into our hearts and lives. And please, help us all never break our resolution to be closer to you.  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.

Scripture:

1 John 2:12-17
Luke 2:36-40

Reflection:

What kind of prayers was Anna saying?  She didn’t have the “Our Father,” or “Hail Mary” prayers.  She didn’t have the rosary or novenas.  Perhaps she prayed the Psalms or used the prophet Isaiah.

It sounds like she “prayed always.”  But she didn’t have much else to do.  St. Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) But we live busy lives.  How can we pray without creasing?

In Philippians St. Paul tells us, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8) Ah, that gives us the whole world as the content of our prayer.  And it reminds us that much of prayer is listening.  God speaks to us through creation.

Which reminds me of this quotation from Fyodor Dostoevsky.  He said, 

“Love all God’s creation, both the whole and every grain of sand.  Love every leaf, every ray of light.  Love the animals and love the plants, love each separate thing.  If thou love each thing thou will perceive the mystery of  God in all, and when once thou perceive this, thou will thenceforth grow every day in a fuller understanding of it until thou come at last to love the whole world with a love that will then be all embracing and universal.”

He is calling for passionate love for all of God’s creation. And why not?  That is how God loves. And to love all that God loves, and to love it without ceasing is to pray without ceasing.

The purpose of prayer is union with God.  As St. John tells us, “God is love, and all those who live in love live in God and God in them.” (1 John, 4:16) It doesn’t get any better than that.

Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.
http://www.alanphillipcp.com/

Scripture: 

1 John 2:3-11
Luke 2:22-35

Reflection:

. . . for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. –1 John 2:8

In 1935 the play Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot, was published. The play focuses on the story of the death of Thomas Becket who was the childhood friend of Henry II of England. When Henry II ascended the throne he appointed Thomas as the Primate of England or Chancellor. Today that would be the Prime Minister. Everything was going along fine when Henry II decided that the Church had more power than he did and so wanted an inside man to help him with gaining control. Becket pleads with him not to appoint him Archbishop of Canterbury, which today is the highest ordained position in the Church of England, the Queen is considered the head of the Church of England. And all of that history is another story. Becket is already a deacon in the Church and so he is ordained a priest and the next day elevated to Archbishop. Over the course of several months Becket is changed by his position. He helps the poor and serves as a faithful shepherd of the people. Henry II and Becket disagree several times on matters of the Church and State. One night, in a drunken fury, Henry II makes a comment about being rid of the bothersome Archbishop. Four loyal knights interpret this as a command to assassinate Becket and so in the middle of the night they ride off to Canterbury Cathedral and murder him as he is saying a private mass. 

The First Letter of John gives us the message of walking in the way of Christ through the commandments. The two commandments that Christ gave to his Apostles and us; To love God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The message goes on to speak about what it means to walk in the light and what it means to walk in the darkness. Two leaders of England made choices. One walked in the darkness of wanting more power and the other followed the path of Light and was changed by that Light. Even in the time of Jesus there were people who thought that they were following God through the commandments and the multitude of prescribed laws. But instead became blinded by them and were unable to see the true Light when it appeared as promised.

Christmas is a reminder for us that the Light has come into the world and that we can choose to walk in the Light or to choose the path of darkness. Simeon, a man waiting in the Temple for the Messiah is blessed by God to be able to see the true Light before he died. He spent his life waiting patiently for that moment. What a great joy that must have been for him! The words of Simeon, from today’s Gospel offer us food for thought:

 “Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
              your word has been fulfilled:
              my own eyes have seen the salvation
              which you have prepared in the sight of every people,
              a light to reveal you to the nations
              and the glory of your people Israel.”

We don’t need to wait. The Light of the World has come, Emmanuel.

May the coming New Year bring you peace and joy!

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

Scripture:

1 John 1:5-2:2
Matthew 2:13-18

Reflection:

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs.  We gather as the faithful to remember all those innocent baby boys, two years old and younger who were brutally ripped from their mother’s arms and killed.  King Herod, power-driven and jealous man that he was, issued this malicious order upon learning that the magi could not tell him of the whereabouts of the newborn king.

As the year 2020 comes to an end, we can all recount how our lives have been forever changed between the natural disasters, wars, divisions, brutality, violence and the continuing pandemic.  Times of distress, anxiety, hopelessness, physical, emotional and spiritual pain have colored our daily lives.  This feast of the Holy Innocents serves to remind us of the pain and suffering experienced by the families of all the murdered children. Our own pain makes their pain more real to us than in other years.

On the other hand, though, even though we have and continue to experience a sense of despair and frustration at times, ALL is not lost!  This is the Christmas season, we just celebrated the birth of Jesus, messiah and Lord a few short days ago!  In our first reading from 1John, we are reminded that our God is a God of light, a merciful God, who is ready to forgive our sins and continues to be the light that guides us no matter how dark things seem to be.  This is GOOD NEWS!

Our God calls us to be faithful and trust in the beautiful hope that the incarnation brings to each one of us!  We are called to follow the light of Christ that never grows dim.  We are called to be that light to others who suffer in our families, communities and world. May we live into the mystery and hope of that first Christmas and continue to spread the message of joy we feel during this holy and happy season. 

Blessings for a happy and healthy new year ahead!

Theresa Secord recently retired as a Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Scripture:

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Colossians 3:12-21
Luke 2:22-40

Reflection:

The story of Simeon has always touched my heart, and I have shared it with others on many occasions. This holy man of God, this man of faith, knew that in his lifetime  he would see Jesus face to face. I wonder if he ever thought that, not only would he see him, but he would hold him so very close to his heart as an infant! Can you imagine not only seeing the Christ child, but holding him in your arms, feeling his breath on your face, looking so deeply into his eyes. Simeon knew what Mary would experience with this precious child – from Christ’s birth to the many swords that would pierce her heart. And his faith and trust in God enabled him to stay faithful, knowing – trusting – that God would grant him his one prayer of seeing the Savior of the World. Once his prayer has been fulfilled, his prayer and blessing to God is the completion of his life – that he was ready to go in peace. 

I pray that you have the faith of Simeon as, on this day, we celebrate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. May the favor of God be upon you in your journey through this Christmas season, and may you become strong and filled with the wisdom of a loving and merciful God.

Patty Masson supports the Passionists from Spring, Texas.