Claire Smith

Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:1-6
Acts 13:22-26
Luke 1:57-66, 80

Reflection:

The Abyss of God’s Mercy

“He shall be called John.” LK 1:60    My mother used to call me my full Christian name, Robert John, when she was upset with me.   If I knew my Hebrew for John when I was a little boy I would be comforted when I heard that name.  The Hebrew name for John is a combination of Jah (God) and hanan (mercy)!  God is merciful.

One of the most frequent prayers in Scripture is “Lord have mercy on me”. In Hebrew it is expressed in one word: “hanani” “Have mercy on me!”  In the Old Testament one of the most known uses is in Psalm 51:1.  “Be merciful to me “hanani”, O God, according to Your lovingkindness (kesed); According to the greatness of Your compassion (raḥămîm) blot out my transgressions.”  What is of special notice this line mentions three important words for mercy! The first word is ḥānan which has the connotation of undeserved graciousness. The second word for mercy is Kesed which has a strong association with faithful love.  The third word used in this line is raḥămîm which means a deep compassionate love like that of a parent.  All these words can be translated into mercy but each has strong nuances. By these three words alone mercy is treated an amazing 568 times in Old Testament!  In the New Testament mercy is treated mainly by four different words 127 times!

We must all live on the edge of God’s mercy.  We must not be afraid to jump into the abyss of His kindness.   There is a great democracy among all of us.   We all exist on the margins of God’s mercy. Paul said it well: “For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”  So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” Rom 9:15   God’s mercy is our ultimate reality!  This is true not just because we have sinned and need forgiveness, but our very existence is an effect of His mercy.  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.” EPH 2:4

“Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us.” Misericordiae Vultus  #2  Pope Francis

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

2 Kings 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36
Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Reflection:

When I was young, there was a comic strip in the newspaper called “Pogo,” done by Walt Kelly. The strip followed the lives of animals in Lake Okefenokee (I doubt I have the spelling right). But even though it was ostensibly about the lives of these animals, it was a strip of political comment and satire. One famous strip, done during the Vietnam War, has Pogo saying, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”

This came to me in light of our first reading from 2 Kings, and in light of what is going on in the U.S. right now. In our first reading, the King, Hezekiah prays to God to deliver the people from Assyria, whose king has been telling them not to put their faith in God. God answers the prayers, and the army of Assyria doesn’t even enter Jerusalem.

But what do we pray for when the enemy “is us?” In our Gospel reading from Matthew, we have three sayings from Jesus that provide a good answer to that question. First, Jesus says, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.” We can pray that we do not trample the words of Jesus “underfoot” in order to pursue greed or vengeance or our own will.

Jesus then says, “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.” We could pray for the grace to follow the Golden Rule.

And after that, Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” We can pray for the grace to discern the “narrow gate” and the “constricted road.” We can pray for the willingness to let go of whatever it is that keeps us from entering the gate that leads to life.

We don’t have to be anyone’s enemy, even when we disagree about what needs to be done. Lord, let not the enemy of life and love be us!

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

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Isaiah 61:9-11
Luke 2:41-51

Reflection:

Today we celebrate the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a day to remember and honor Mary the Mother of Jesus.  Since the very beginning of the Church, Mary has had a firm hold on the Christian imagination.  She is celebrated as the one human being who was totally responsive to God.  And, by her complete openness and welcome to the mystery of God, she gives the Son of God human flesh and brings him into our world.  What a gift Mary has given to the whole human family.

But sometimes, in our wonder at the impact Mary has had on the human family, we can lose sight of the fact that she was a frail human being who didn’t always understand what was happening to her, just like all of us.  Down through the centuries many theologians and spiritual writers have reflected on her perfection, her sinlessness, her all-encompassing virtue.  So often in art she is depicted as the beautiful Madonna, peacefully at rest in the ethereal light, smiling benignly down upon the perfect baby who certainly is not crying but rather smiling gently in his contentment.  Beautiful images all and expressing a truth about who Mary is.

But in the Gospel stories we find not a passive, placid, contented Madonna, but a woman who from her teen years was fully engaged with a challenging and often enough painful life.  Whether we recall the very beginning when she asks the question of the Angel Gabriel “How can this be?” or imagine Mary coping with the consequences of her pregnancy outside of marriage, or the anxiety she must have experienced as she had to give birth away from home and family, or the pain and fear of fleeing her home and of becoming a refugee in Egypt to save the life of her son, or the stress and fear she must have experienced for her Son as opposition and hostility to him solidified around him, or the final tragedy of his arrest, torture, crucifixion and death.  In all of these experiences and more, Mary was constantly challenged to trust in God’s faithfulness to her in the face of extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

Yet it was her all-encompassing openness to God and unwavering trust in God’s fidelity that is so beautifully expressed in our Gospel this morning.  After three days of frantically searching for her lost 12 year old son and his simple excuse, “did you not know that I must be in my father’s house?”  Matthew comments that “they did not understand.”  Then, he concludes that Mary, Jesus’ mother, kept all these things in her heart.  Indeed, this pondering incomprehensible things in her immaculate heart becomes a life-long habit for Mary, the faithful disciple of Jesus.

Strangely enough it is not so much in her perfection that Mary is so deeply loved and such a great model for us, but is, rather, in her response to the very difficult and tragic experiences in her life.

Most all of us have trust issues, even with God.  We have those issues because what is happening to us at a given moment of our lives often doesn’t make sense to us.  Figuring out how to respond is even more difficult.  And then, of course, there are those experiences of misunderstanding, disappointment, and even betrayal.  Events in our lives can easily overwhelm us and fill us with fear.  It is in times like these that the life of Mary can speak to us.  She was battered by many tragedies in her life and was, I’m sure, often afraid.  Yet, her steadfastness in remaining open to the mystery of God and trusting in God’s faithfulness never wavered.  She was present from the beginning to the end and beyond, into the life of the early Church.  She is the true disciple.  As we remember and honor her today, may each of us ask God to help us in our lives to never lose heart and trust that God is with us.

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is the director of retreats at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 7:6-11
1 John 4:7-16
Matthew 11:25-30

Reflection:

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 11:28 – 30

Today, we hear Jesus say, “Learn from me.”

What can we learn from Jesus? Why should we learn from Jesus? How will learning from Jesus help us be better persons? These questions lead us to everlasting life.

The answer, of course, is found in the very Person of Jesus the Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, Word made Flesh, who laid down his life out his Personal Divine Love for each of us personally and as the People of God. God never tires of telling us how much God loves us and God never tires of demonstrating that love for us daily.

Today, on this feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church focuses our attention on the expressions of Jesus’ unconditional love for us and then invites us to learn from him. We are called to reflect upon this pierced Heart surrounded by a crown of thorns, on fire with love, casting rays of light, as he gazes upon us, with one wounded hand pointed upward and the other at his punctured heart.

Anyone who meditates upon this image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and swoons with unctuous sweetness, has not stood at the foot of the Cross and watched him died the slow death of those crucified, or heard the curses and lies that were hurled upon him as he was unjustly condemned, or the taunts and mocking that were casted at him with hands tied, body bloodied by whips and his head crowned with thorns.

This is what redeemed love looks like. This is what unconditional love looks like. This is what unending love looks like. This is the kind of love that we are called to learn from the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Today, we are invited to walk with the Sacred Heart of Jesus as he enters the ICU wards of those dying with COVID-19, all alone. We stand in solidarity with the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the midst of millions around the world who cry for justice. Today, we join the Sacred Heart of Jesus as he knocks on the doors of those who are filled with fear, afraid for their lives. Today, the Sacred Heart of Jesus welcomes the little children, separated from their mothers and fathers, far from their native homes, whose tears flow freely day and night. Today, the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the only source of love that many dispossessed people have in their lives. Today, we are the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our world, in our communities, in our streets, in our neighborhoods, in our homes. This is our faith!

This is why we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This feast day reminds us of how he loved us, even to the end, just because we are. What the Sacred Heart of Jesus teaches us is that we are called to love the same way the Sacred Heart of Jesus loves us.

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

Fr. Clemente Barrón, C.P. is a member of Mater Dolorosa Community in Sierra Madre, California. 

Scripture:

2 Kings 2:1, 6-14
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Reflection:

Nobody likes a showoff. But all of us, at least occasionally, enjoy being one, and that’s not surprising. Human beings hunger for recognition; we long to be noticed and, despite our protests, often like being the center of attention. In an age of social media, the craving to be seen and celebrated—to be in the spotlight—seems stronger than ever. But some desires are dangerous and this is certainly one of them. That is why vainglory—an inordinate desire for praise and recognition—has consistently been recognized as one of the seven deadly sins. It’s the church’s way of telling us that if we let this desire get the best of us, it will deeply damage us and never give us the satisfaction and fulfillment we anticipate.

Jesus knew this, and so it is no surprise that in today’s gospel he warns us to “be on guard” against people who do things only to be seen. We might call them “spiritual showoffs.” These are people who do good things—giving alms, praying, fasting—but for the wrong reasons. Even if their acts achieve good (such as helping the poor), they are not genuinely good acts because with spiritual showoffs their intention is not to do good, but solely to draw attention to themselves. That’s why Jesus dismisses them as nothing more than “hypocrites looking for applause.” But he’s also telling us that if we strive to find happiness and meaning in our lives by seeking praise and glory for ourselves, we will be sorely disappointed. Notice that with each example of spiritual hypocrisy, Jesus says, “they are already repaid.” He contrasts this with being repaid by God to stress the sheer emptiness and futility of a life whose dominant purpose is to make ourselves the center of attention; in other words, “they who are already repaid” end up with nothing at all.

We are called to give glory and praise not to ourselves, but to God. If we do so, day by day, through our thoughts, words, intentions, and actions, we will experience a happiness and fulfillment, an honor and glory, that we could never have given ourselves. Look at story of the prophet Elijah in today’s first reading. At the end of a life devoted wholly in service to God, Elijah is whisked up to heaven in a flaming chariot drawn by flaming horses. Our own life’s ending may not be so unforgettable, but we can be absolutely sure that God will glorify lives that were spent in glorifying God. After all, that’s why we are given life in the first place.

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.

Scripture:

1 Kings 21:17-29
Matthew 5:43-48

Reflection:

Matthew has just finished giving the Beatitudes to his disciples.  In this passage he goes further and talks about the obstacles that are destructive of discipleship.  The first obstacle he identifies is anger.    Several years ago a survey was taken of the Catholic priests in the United States.  The survey showed that the level of anger was so high among the priests that it was judged to be so disturbing that it should not be published.  About the same time another article was published on the “Anger of Priests.”  The author of the article received so many responses to his article that the author of the article decided to write a response to remind his readers. In his response  he reminded that the opposite of anger was “Gratitude.”

Gratitude is the happiness we have been given.  It is the echo of joy. To be grateful is to share.  There are high moments of aliveness in our lives.  These moments of the heart are a deep all-pervading, overflowing sense of gratitude.  When we reach our innermost heart.   When we are at home with ourselves when we are intimately united with others. We experience gratitude.

Genesis tells us God created us by breathing life into us.  The heart is where we meet God.  But meeting God is prayer.  Prayer is the very heart of religion.   Hearts are restless until we find rest.  We find rest when we find meaning.  We find meaning when we find God.  God is the source of all meaning.  Gratitude strengthens our faith and makes it grow.  We grow in gratitude when we grow in love.

A suffering God loves us.  The gift of the incarnation and crucifixion of the son of God had defined our sense of gratitude.

Fr. Ken O’Malley, C.P., is a member of the Passionist Community at Sacred Heart Monastery in Louisville, Kentucky.