Claire Smith

Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

Scripture:

2 John 4-9
Luke 17:26-37

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel continues with the same Apocalyptic or end times focus as we move through the final weeks of the liturgical year. These readings—particularly, the Gospels, focus us on the idea of the second coming of Christ and our readiness.  Somehow over the centuries instead of looking to the second coming of Christ; Christmas, and the newborn baby, Jesus found its way into the Advent waiting. One commentary I read suggests that Luke borrowed language from the Old Testament books of Ezekiel and Daniel who both use the “Son of Man.” This text reminds me of our current situation of the pandemic, we hear that one person has been diagnosed with Covid-19 while the other one is symptom-free. At least that is how it feels in Southern California, where we are experiencing a surge in cases. So perhaps when we read this text it may bring fear and worry to our hearts. I have often wondered what a new Christian feels when they read this text, it is slightly disconcerting, to say the least.

However, the Church does not want us to get wrapped up in concerns about end times but rather to pay attention to the totality of the Scriptures. This is evident in our first reading from the Second Letter of St. John. The author of this letter reminds us that we have nothing to worry about if we stick to the original command, “from the beginning,” to love one another. We do this by walking according to his commandments. It is quite simple. I read a quote today that helps speak to this point, “To love is always letting go of a fear.” (Center for Action and Contemplation 11-10-2020 reflection) I might suggest today’s Scripture is an invitation to let go, to surrender our fears about our future into the hands of Jesus.

Today is also the memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini who was the Italian foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. She overcame many obstacles in her dream of entering religious life. She and six of her community took the advice of Pope Leo XIII and came to the United States to minister to the Italian immigrants. Coincidentally, this same Pope wrote an encyclical letter in 1891 which is considered foundational to the Church’s teachings on Social Justice—Rerum Novarum. Even then he had an awareness and concerned for the poor. She and her community ministered to orphanages, established schools, and eventually hospitals. She later became an American citizen and died on December 22^nd, 1917. She was canonized in 1946 and is the first citizen (naturalized) saint of the United States. Mother Cabrini, as she was known did not shy from loving and serving Christ in the poor. That desire to love compelled her to reach for her dream. As the words of the psalm suggests, “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.” (Psalm119). So today, may we let go of anything that keeps us separated from this love. May we trust in the mercy of Christ to meet us in eternity and may we strive to follow the law of the Lord in joyful hope. Amen.

Jean Bowler is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California, and a member of the Office of Mission Effectiveness Board of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Philemon 7-20
Luke 17:20-25

Reflection:

When I write these meditations, I am thinking primarily of people with whom you come in contact in your somewhat “limited life” thanks to the pandemic. Yes, I am writing to people called by God to “unleash energy of the Gospel” wherever and with whomever you are present today. “The Kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17:21)  

You convey the Kingdom through your sensitivities, words, deeds and decisions to do something.

I assume these days, where obligatory church attendance is optional, many have let go of the necessity to spend time with the Body of Christ, sacramentally and ecclesiastically!

I write this for the benefit of your “presenting Christ,” to those who do not expose themselves to the real presence of the Word. This is the “lens” through which I read the Word of God.

Two human phenomena dominate the Word today. Yearning and longing. Both desires are at the core of our humanity, uniquely, in men and women. “The heart is a lonely hunter.” “My heart is restless until it rests in God.” Both of these sayings are familiar.

We meet people like the man whom Paul encountered while imprisoned. Onesimus (meaning “useless” in the original translation) a runaway slave, who cannot find himself nor feel that they do not belong. Useless, aimless, purposeless.

If life is a journey, then there must be a destination. It is so hard to find and hold onto.

According to the psychotherapist, Robert Furey, “Without this destination life would be only an aimless movement without the purpose and direction inherent in a true journey. (p. ix, The Road To You,  Alba House, 1997)

Dr. Furey assumes that each one of us has a definite destination – and each journey begins with a yearning and a calling. Through every obstacle, disappointment and challenge, we are being prepared to fulfill our God-inspired vision. “The road to you takes you to the place where you can live your calling.” (p. ix)

I do not believe that anyone is bereft of a calling. God’s creation, in humanity and all living things, are imbued with love, and love contains meaning and purpose.

As usual many are afraid and resist their calling out of fear. Fear that they are being called to do more than they can! This would lead to failure, embarrassment or whatever they fear the most. Or, the opposite concern. They dread the thought that the tasks to which they are called may be judged insignificant! So, 2000 years later the story of a runaway slave with a ridiculous name of “useless” who is in jail, gets our attention.

Please, never underestimate the power, the energy of God within you, “as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other.” Pray, ask for the grace of God, the same grace that touched Paul, to be planted in our hearts with the yearning that points to our own special direction. And when I say “pray,” this means more than petitioning God. It means “reflecting,” i.e., “looking back” to see where God has already given you direction. In this way you develop and awareness of your calling, find your purpose in life and begin to understand where you belong. That is spiritual energy… the most powerful kind of energy in the world. Accept your calling everyday, and the energy will be there.

Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P., is a member of the Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Titus 2:1-8, 11-14
Luke 17:7-10

Reflection:

In my 30’s, I knew a priest from India. He attracted people easily, as he was gentle, peaceful, and kind. Yet he was also intelligent, exceptionally insightful on scripture and theology, and willing to share his wisdom in just the right measure. Despite obvious gifts, he never lorded it over anyone or touted himself. Instead, his encouragement and support, combined with the model of his life, built everyone up, and he sincerely rejoiced at their successes even above his own. To me, he fit the definition of a servant leader, and he inspired others to the same.

Gallons of ink have been spilled defining and promoting “servant leadership.” St. Paul lists several characteristics we’d all agree on: dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith and love,  reverent, teaching what is good, chaste, maintaining integrity, rejecting godless ways, and living in imitation of Jesus who gave himself totally for us. Servant leaders, according to the Gospel, humbly do what is theirs to do without expectation of reward or recognition, and sometimes at cost to themselves. In short, servant leaders use whatever gifts and talents they have to serve others and to build up the reign of God.

Today, servant leadership seems in perilously short supply. Many leaders, religious and secular, are concerned primarily with their own power and control, demanding adulation, and enriching themselves. As Christians, that is the antithesis of our call, but it is hard to resist. I know how good it feels to be praised by others. I love being “right,” and can get defensive when my position is challenged. I can be very invested in what I want. It’s more comfortable to be in control than to trust someone else to lead. Even with my kids, I sometimes do things myself, knowing I’ll do it better, rather than patiently letting them learn over time until they are equally competent. Ah yes, I know the temptations!

I also know that if I want to promote servant leadership in our world, I need to begin with myself. So, my prayer this week is that I may grow in humility and service. May I open my mind to hear the challenges of others so that together we can discern the “right” path forward. May I offer my time, attention, and gifts freely without expecting reward or recognition. May I look for opportunities to build up someone else, especially someone who rarely gets recognized. Overall, may I become an ever more transparent instrument of Christ, who gave himself over for us. And may I do all of this so generously and well that I inspire others to do the same. Amen.

Amy Florian is a teacher and consultant working in Chicago.  For many years she has partnered with the Passionists.  Visit Amy’s website: http://www.corgenius.com/.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17
John 2:13-22

Reflection:

A Cruise Downstream on the Waters from St. John Lateran

In the year 324 the Church of St. John Lateran was dedicated. A gift from Constantine to the pope, it is now the cathedral of Rome, the church of Pope Francis, its bishop.

Do you have a sacred place? A place where you can feel as if you take leave of the everyday world to come to a place of peace, a place where you feel different, maybe sensitive to the holy. You may be lucky enough to have a place or two like that. It could be a spot from which we view the beauty of creation, or a place where we have had a memorable sacred, experience. I suppose places vary and the reasons for them are countless. In such a place we give into a power, something that always works when we are ‘there’. We can count on peace, strength even a humbling feeling as we enter this space transcending ordinary life.

I can’t say that John Lateran is such a place for me, I have never been there. But because it is the Mother Church we could imagine, like the temple in Ez. 43:1-2 4-7, that the waters of life are flowing from it and spiritually stream into all other churches.

What makes me think that John Lateran could become one of those ‘favorite places’ where we enter the sacred is its baptismal font. Little fish come to life there under its inscription, “There is no barrier between those who are reborn and made one by the one font, the one Spirit, and the one faith…” The font is a sacred place in every church. Here people meet the Good Shepherd in waters of refreshment, are filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and begin their journey to the banquet table in our Father’s house. It is a journey that ends ritually when that person is placed closest to the altar, a symbol for Christ whose embrace welcomes them, and the Eucharist is celebrated. Our fonts are like springs fed from its source, the Mother Church of St. John.

We can also see it in a different way. Imagine the baptism of adults. These are people who have prepared, grace has been at work attracting them, they are nervous and anxious approaching the water. When they leave the font they are ‘mystagogues’. They now experience the love of God. From seeing the water they now are little fish at home and swimming in the water. How appropriate the symbols of fish on the venerable font of St. John Lateran. Over 17,000 years how many thousands of people swam in those waters? New symbols are theirs, their imagination can go to new places, they are given a new language, the extraordinary but ordinary world becomes filled with the ordinary extraordinary presence of God.

A place of baptism is a very sacred symbol. A hot spot in the sacred space of our church. By extension we can find ourselves at the headwaters of baptism and maybe make St. John’s a holy place to visit in our imagination. We are connected by the water. Or just gaze upon the font of our church. You may feel you are in a little backwater bayou, but how alive and beautiful it is at the time of baptism. Maybe the font of St. John Lateran or our own church’s font will be a place where we sit and watch as the Sprit moves over the waters once again and God’s love springs up within us.

Fr. William Murphy, CP is the pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Jamaica, New York.

Scripture:

Wisdom 6:12-16
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Luke 11:15-26

Reflection:

Will you be ready before the door is closed?

A lot is packed into Matthew’s short parable, in which a wedding feast is compared to the kingdom of heaven. The wise ones cannot share their oil with the foolish ones if they wanted to. What is required to enter the feast must be what you have experienced or what you have done yourself. You cannot share your relationship with Jesus with someone else, as the unprepared virgins wanted the others to do. You have to experience the love of Christ personally to have a relationship with Him. The oil is our love and relationship with Christ. The unprepared virgins are foolish to think that they could purchase this at the last minute. If only they would have stayed and asked the lord for mercy and forgiveness, they could have entered the wedding feast or Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, with a word of command, can wake us up and take us to be with himself if only we have faith. If we bless him while we live and call upon his name, it will not be in vain.

Jesus’ future coming transforms the present by motivating us to love Him and live for Him to the full. The ones who wisely plan ahead, are rewarded; the unprepared are rejected. A few weeks ago, the rejected guests were those without a wedding garment, now it’s the ones without working lamps. At baptism we were clothed in Christ and were given a lighted candle. Only those who put on Christ and light the way are welcomed to the kingdom. We must live out our baptism and let our God-given wisdom give us the urgency we need each and every day. The door is open, keep your candle lit with the oil from a strong relationship with Jesus. Amen

Deacon Peter Smith serves at St. Mary’s/Holy Family Parish in Alabama, a religion teacher at Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School in Birmingham, and a member of our extended Passionist Family.

Scripture:

Philippians 4:10-19
Luke 16:9-15

Reflection:

Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich. -2 Corinthians 8:9

The one thing I’ve never really wanted to be in my 70 plus years of life is poor. As a child, I remember wanting to be a fireman like Mr. Stretcher who lived across the street from us. We lived not far from a route used by the local fire department and often heard their sirens on the way to a fire. Seeing them flying by, not paying any attention to the stop lights, looked adventuresome.

When I got a little older, sometime around the seventh grade, I thought I’d really like being a priest like Fr. Casper C.P., our assistant pastor. He was pretty “neat.” Instead of asking us questions like, “Why did God make you?” He’d tell us stories of hiking in the hills of California which to my limited traveling experience really sounded exotic. So eventually I headed off to the seminary where I read stories of saints like Thomas Moore who was locked away in the London Tower for refusing to go against his conscience or Ignatius Loyola who left home even though his parents didn’t want him to. I really wanted to be like these saints, who if they were poor or even wanted to be poor, I never remember reading that. I wanted to follow them because they were courageous and willing to be themselves.

For much of my actual working life, I wanted to make money. I chose teaching in the public schools over the Catholic schools because they paid much better. When I wasn’t teaching, I sold things. What I like most about selling was the promise of making as much money as I wanted to—it just depended on how hard and smart I was willing to work. Being poor? No, I never heeded that challenge to follow Jesus in choosing to be poor.

Today, I’ve decided I want to be like Jesus and choose to be poor. Wouldn’t you know it though, I don’t know how to do that responsibly. I’ve been blessed, or maybe cursed with being a privileged white man, meaning I’ve been able to financially meet my needs. I relate well to what Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians “I am very well supplied because of what I received from you…” (4:18)

Jesus, please help me understand what you are challenging me (us) to do today and give me the courage to truly follow you.

Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists.  He lives in Chicago.  

Scripture:

Philippians 3:3-8a
Luke 15:1-10

Reflection:

What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?   -Luke 15:4

Not too long ago, I couldn’t turn on the news or visit the web without hearing about “The 1%.” In the context of economic justice, the 1% were seen as those who hoarded resources at the expense of the 99%. They were perceived as privileged, above the law, disdainful of those they felt were beneath them. There were protests and even disruptions of our economic lives to bring attention to this imbalance.

In the gospel today Jesus speaks of a different 1%. Although social and economic justice were frequent themes in His teachings, this time Jesus turns conventional wisdom on its head.

Even if we don’t want to admit it, it is easy to think that people with greater resources and easier lives are more favored by God. This was certainly true in the time of Jesus. Those people that held high social status and were well off, were seen as blessed by the Lord. The 1% of that time were God’s favorites, or so it seemed. Jesus shows us a different view of God’s kingdom. According to Jesus, the 1%, the elite, the favored, the ones most deserving of the Father’s attention, were those who had strayed. And in this parable, God (the shepherd), doesn’t wait for the lost lamb to return, but leaves the 99 “good” lambs to search for the 1%.

We all stray from time to time. I know I certainly do. St. Paul himself said he was the greatest sinner (c.,f. 1Timothy 1:15). But God considers all sinners to be the 1%, those who have a special place in His kingdom. In His eyes we are all deserving of His full and undivided attention, at all times! Why is it so hard for us to accept this?

I dimly remember from some devotional book in my childhood an illustration of this gospel passage. In a simple line drawing it showed a shepherd risking His own life, reaching out on the edge of a cliff, trying to rescue a lost lamb. My prayer for today is that I lean forward into the grasp of my Shepherd.

In addition to being an independent teacher (now online!), Talib Huff is on the retreat team at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, California. You can contact him at [email protected]

Scripture:

Philippians 2:12-18
Luke 14:25-33

Reflection:

The Challenge, The Opportunity!

Jesus has some strong words in today’s Gospel:  discipleship includes hating your family, hating your own life, renouncing all your possessions.  Soooo…What about His earlier statement to love God, and to love our neighbor as ourselves?  Conflicting messages!  Jesus also includes His earlier statement: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” 

Jesus’ powerful words today underscore the total dedication that is involved in following Him.  That’s the vocation of every Christian:  the total gift of self in one’s particular style of life.  Married people, single people, priests, consecrated religious women and men.  The two “mini-parables” at the end of today’s Gospel expand upon the self-knowledge involved in discipleship:  we’re reminded to inventory the materials on hand before starting a building project – and number your troops before you head off to war. 

Discipleship is demanding!  Daunting!  Upon further reflection, even perhaps depressing…  How can anyone say “yes”?

The whole of Scripture testifies that God’s Love works miracles.  Each person’s talents and shortcomings are transformed by God’s infinite Love; we can “take up our cross” and “leave behind father and mother” and “renounce our possessions”.  Jesus loves us so much that nothing can stand in the way…if we open our hearts and say “yes”, as has been said by the “Saints” whose lives we celebrated on November 1. 

The challenge and the opportunity are ours today.  Jesus calls us to discipleship in a world beset with pandemics, politics, prejudice, poverty, pessimism…  Our witness and involvement as Jesus’ disciples are so needed in both the nitty gritty of life, and in the broader, global reach of leadership and visioning. 

How will you and I respond…today?  Psalm 27 provides faith-filled encouragement:  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?  The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? … Wait for the Lord with courage…”   Yes!  Amen!!

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