Claire Smith

Scripture:

1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading for Sunday (John 9:1-41), we have the encounter between Jesus and the man born blind. The encounter begins when the disciples ask Jesus whose sin was responsible for the man being blind from birth: was it his sin or his parents’? Jesus’ reply is that it was not due to anyone’s sin that the man was blind: “it is so that the works of God made be made visible through him.” In other words, what would be done in this man’s life would be done so that others could see.

Then Jesus gives sight to the man, but it’s difficult for some to see what has happened. Some can’t believe that the same person they knew to be blind can now see. And because Jesus did this on the sabbath, the Pharisees are unable to see God’s hand in what has occurred. But the man himself is able to see what all this means. He not only receives physical sight, but spiritual sight as well. He, at least, can see that Jesus is from God. And when Jesus encounters him after he is thrown out of the synagogue, he believes that Jesus is the Messiah.

At different times in my life, I have been made to see differently. I have had to let go of assumptions about particular people, or groups of people. I have had to let go of certain interpretations of events and what they mean. I have been made to recognize my blindness concerning various things and people. Are there certain aspects of our lives in which we persist in our blindness?

Along with everyone else, I have watched the news about the covid-19 pandemic. And I’ve been wondering whether this crisis has revealed to us anything about our blindness. For me it has revealed that we can no longer be blind to the truth that we are all connected. We can no longer be blind to the truth that we have responsibility for each other. I like what I saw on Facebook the other day that said something to the effect that we engage in social distancing not so much to protect ourselves, but to protect others who may be at risk. And even though social distancing and other restrictions may be necessary, we can see that spiritual and emotional isolation is not the answer.

These kinds of things have been revealed to us before during times of crisis. But it seems that too often, after the crisis has passed, that we are content to retreat into blindness. To keep the sight that we have been given, we need to let the love of Jesus in, and let whatever blindness we have be truly healed.

In our second reading from Ephesians (5:18-24), St. Paul writes: “Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.” Perhaps another way to say this might be: “Let us live as children of sight, so that we can see goodness and righteousness and truth in our neighbor and in the world.”

May God’s love in Jesus Christ heal us of our blindness, and may our restored sight give us what we need to help others to see God’s love.

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

Scripture:

Hosea 6:1-6
Luke 18:9-14

Reflection:

In my younger years, I was a boy scout knowing all the things I needed to do to move to the next rank.  I was proud of my accomplishments much like the Pharisee in today’s gospel, bragging about his behavior.  The Pharisees taught that following God’s law meant one was doing God’s will.  Following the law perfectly meant fulfilling God’s will perfectly, which meant one was closer to God.  (Larry Brody, Word Sunday.com, “Who’s in Charge of the Heart” Permission to use).

The tax collector worked for the occupying forces of Rome and was considered a traitor.  Tax collectors were hated by the Jewish population.  The tax collector stood at a distance from the Temple offering his broken heart to God asking for mercy.   The Pharisee attempted to justify himself by what he did. “The Gospel parable simply used the image of a self-centered Pharisee to preach against the abuses of a “me-first” spirituality.” (Larry Brody, Word Sunday.com, “Who’s in Charge of the Heart” Permission to use)

Am I like the Pharisee self-centered making lists or counting prayers to impress God?  Or am I more like the tax collector focusing on my relationship with God.  During this sacred Lenten season, as the first reading from Hosea instructs us: “Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is coming, and his judgment shines forth like the light of day HE will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth.”

Carl Middleton is a theologian/ethicist and a member of the Passionist Family.

Scripture:

Hosea 14:2-10
Mark 12:28-34

Reflection:

I wonder what the Scribe in today’s Gospel thought Jesus was going to say in response to his question, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”  Perhaps he thought Jesus was going to say something “new.”  But, in his response, Jesus reminds him that love, first of God and then of neighbor, is at the heart of God’s commandments.  It always was and it always will be.  The Scribe praises Jesus’ answer.  Jesus tells the Scribe that, because he understands this important truth, he is not far from the Kingdom of God.

What about us?  What do we think is the most important of all the commandments?  Do we understand, as does the Scribe in the Gospel, that love is at the heart of the Gospel?  Of course we do…!

The first reading for today is from the prophet Hosea.  He speaks of God’s commitment to forgive Israel and Ephraim, i.e., God’s people who have been so unfaithful.  Throughout these first weeks of Lent we have had readings from various prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel), assuring us of God’s constant forgiveness for the many sins of idolatry and injustice committed by God’s people.  It would seem that knowing the first of all the commandments doesn’t’ guarantee that we live it.

This message of the prophets is very reassuring for us as we try to live what we know is true, that love is the heart of the Gospel, and of God.  We pray that during this holy season, God transforms our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh so that we can live in God’s love.

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

Scripture:

Daniel 3:25, 34-43
Matthew 18:21-35

Reflection:

None of us makes it through life without having to offer or receive forgiveness. Most of us cannot make it through a single day without having to say, at least once, “I’m sorry.” That is why the readings for today are so important. Together they show us exactly how Christians should think about forgiveness.

In the first reading from the prophet Daniel, Azariah prays on behalf of all of Israel that God will be merciful to them and forgive them of their sins. His prayer is full of  hope because Azariah knows that even though God may be angry and disappointed and sometimes exasperated with them, God will never forsake them or give up on them. God will always forgive them because there is nothing they can do that would make God stop loving them.

If this passage from the prophet Daniel assures us of God’s abounding mercy and forgiveness, today’s gospel asserts that it is precisely because God forgives us that we should always forgive one another. The story begins with what is probably the most famous question that Jesus was ever asked. Peter wonders if it is permissible to stop forgiving? Can we put a limit on forgiveness? Can we refuse to be merciful? Jesus answers Peter with a parable. It’s the story of the unforgiving servant, the man who had been rescued by mercy but then brazenly refused to show his fellow servant the same mercy that had been shown to him by his master, the king. The parable ends with the unforgiving servant tortured and thrown into prison, and Jesus declaring that God will treat us “in exactly the same way” if we withhold forgiveness from anyone.

None of us finds it easy to forgive, but nothing is more self-destructive and hopeless than choosing to hold onto grudges, bitterness, anger, or resentment rather than to forgive. That is why Jesus doesn’t suggest that we forgive or hope that we forgive; Jesus commands it. Like Peter, we should never close the door on forgiveness not only because God didn’t do that with us, but also because to close the door on forgiveness is to close the door on life.

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:

2 Kings 5:1-15b
Luke 4:24-30

Reflection:

Expectations

In the synagogue at Nazareth Jesus announces the fulfillment of what Isaiah has prophesied. We will see this unfold during Jesus ministry. Those who heard Jesus could not have taken in the meaning of his words as we who read Luke’s gospel do. They are impressed but also wary. This is the son of Joseph, after all. That our Lord is ushered to the edge of the hill near the synagogue shows that he indeed shattered an expectation of their community.

What did they hear that they could not accept? That God reached out beyond Israel to touch others; although accorded a favored place, Israel is not to be exclusive of others. The oppressed and the prisoner, the blind and the poor, God loves and hears the cry of those who are in need. The rejection of Jesus at Nazareth validates him as a prophet, since prophets are not welcome at home. The expectations of his people are limiting, and Jesus takes us beyond the boundaries we create.

In the story of Naaman from 2 Kings there is a back and forth among the characters. A Jewish slave girl is so full of wisdom and enthusiasm while the anointed King expects the worst after hearing the expectations of a smiling Naaman who arrives at his front door. Elijah is ready to go to work. Then it is Naaman whose expectations get in the way, but the poor people, servants, speak to him about trust, and fortunately Naaman listens to them.

Elijah is full of powerful miracles and intertwined with raw humanness. In the final part of the story Naaman leaves in a bit of a bind. He believes in the God of Israel, he takes a load of earth home with him to keep in touch with this holy place, but he will also have to follow the rules of his King who worships Rammon. And then we meet Gehazi, who seeks to profit from Naaman’s healing by asking him for a kickback. He gets a generous one, and leprosy as well!

Expectations are part of life. We live with them, sometimes to be disappointed, other times to be surprised at how much they can be surpassed. In today’s readings some expectations are limiting and caused fear. The poor, humble people are open to expectations that seem beyond realization, while the powerful question them. Like Mary’s Magnificat, the understanding of the arrogant is scattered and the lowly are raised up. Expectations of Lent and Easter are with us now. How do we tame expectations so wild? Death will be overcome, a Redeemer comes to save us, sin is a ‘happy fault’ that reveals to us so great a lover, one who suffers for us upon the cross. Can we use our Lenten days to be like the servants, humbly asking God to take us beyond our boundaries and give us expectations beyond our own? Can we do the work of Lent aware of the binds that can compromise our best hopes? Or, like Gehazi, if we lose sight of what is truly important and have lowered our expectations, can we ask God’s help to embrace us and help us to hear anew the expectations of our community on its Lenten pilgrimage, and to know that we walk with them strengthened by their prayer and support? Lent is many things, but we can say that our Lenten works will develop in us great expectations that will end not in disappointment but in celebration.

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

Scripture:

Exodus 17:3-7
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
John 4:5-42

Reflection:

I think that our Gospel reading for Sunday (John 4:5-42), in which we hear the encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well, is one in which what the principals involved do is as important, or perhaps even more important, than what they say.

Why do I say this? Well, look at what happens. First of all, the very fact that Jesus is talking to a Samaritan woman is worthy of note: Men were not supposed to be talking to women they didn’t know. Jews and Samaritans had little use for each other, and even hated each other. The next thing to note, which you may have heard before, is that this woman is getting water at noon, when most people got their water in the morning. After seeing what happens in the encounter, it’s not hard to imagine that the woman simply didn’t want to deal with the dirty looks and the hushed murmurs that probably accompanied her everywhere she went.

So Jesus, to the woman’s amazement, asks her for some water. And then they get into a discussion in which Jesus speaks about “living water,” and as is so often the case, He is misunderstood. Jesus then says to the woman, “Go call your husband and come back.” The woman replies, “I do not have a husband.” And then Jesus is bluntly honest with the woman: “You are right in saying ‘I do not have a husband.’ For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

What happens after this is what I’m talking about. The woman’s response is nothing short of remarkable! Even though Jesus is blunt, He must have also shown compassion or something because her response is not what we would expect. She isn’t offended! She doesn’t get angry, or even defensive. She doesn’t say something like, “How dare you speak to me that way!” Instead, she recognizes that Jesus is some kind of prophet, and eventually Jesus reveals to her that he is the Messiah.

But wait, the amazing stuff doesn’t end there! This woman, who seems to be the object of gossip and self-righteous condemnation in this Samaritan town, goes back to these same people, and tells them that she thinks she may have just met the Messiah! Imagine going back to people, at least some of whom have been looking down their noses at you, and witnessing to them!

And now, here’s some more. These people actually listen to her and decide to come to see and hear Jesus for themselves! How often does a person’s past hinder us from seeing their conversion? So, again, there must have been something about her response to Jesus that convinced them to meet Jesus themselves.

So what does this say to us? I think there are at least two things. One is that we do not have to be prisoners of our past. Yes, Jesus confronts the woman about her life, but does not condemn her, and she is freed from her past, to the point of talking to at least some of the people who were judging her. For a woman who tried so hard to avoid those people, she is not afraid to talk to them now. If we let Jesus in, we, too, can be freed form our past. That doesn’t mean we deny what has happened or our part in it. It means we don’t have to be weighed down by it anymore.

The second thing is that our response to who Jesus is for us is our witness to Him. People may not react to us as this town reacted to the woman, but how we live in response to the love of God in Jesus Christ is the most effective testimony we can give.

We need not be afraid of the truth. Rather, we can be healed by it. And our response to the healing Jesus gives us can help us lead others to healing as well.

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

Scripture:

Jeremiah 18:18-20
Matthew 20:17-28

Reflection:

In today’s gospel, the mother of James and John approached Jesus for a favor.  Like a good mother, she lobbied on behalf of her sons.  She asked: “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one on your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”

At first glance, she is moved by good intentions, the good of her sons.  She asks nothing for herself.  She even acknowledges the coming reign of Jesus and falls on knees before the messiah.  Sadly, however, as with all the disciples, she failed to understand the mission and identity of Jesus.

Ambition can be a powerful force in people’s lives.  Today’s gospel reveals how even the worst ambitions can be masked by what appear to be good intentions.  Ambitious people sought to trap Jesus and eventually to put him to death.  That same ambition, however, clouded their vision to the point where they saw Jesus as a threat to their power.

The Reign of God, the kingdom, rejects such ambitious power.  Jesus tells us what true kingdom values are: “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.  Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus does indeed invite his disciples – and us — to us to live in power, not the ambitious, self-serving power, but the liberating power of sacrificial love.  The Kingdom of God is a kingdom where the power love unites us to live as a community of disciples as servants of the people of God.

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.