Claire Smith

Scripture:

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20
Matthew 23:1-12

Reflection:

I am worried about our future. Despite our economic prosperity, I fear we are becoming a heartless culture, a closed and unwelcoming place where the rule is to grab whatever you can for yourself and deny it to anyone else. Injustice, violence, and corruption seem to be multiplying, with no solution or end in sight. I do not say this in a  partisan way. In fact,  partisan heel-digging is part of the problem.  We are more concerned about promoting our particular point of view and denying anything to the person with an opposing viewpoint than we are about imitating Jesus. We are more concerned with ensuring that our own benefit is the highest priority than we are about serving God. Trashing everyone else’s ideas just because they are someone else’s is more important than finding the common threads of each idea and working to build something better.

Jesus didn’t teach this. In fact, he lashed out at the leaders of his day, saying, “They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor.” It sounds so much like our “me-first” world today, in which it doesn’t matter if others are suffering as long as I’m not.

Again, God cries out to us: “Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. Come now, let us set things right.”

The only question is: Are we listening? Are we adding to the morality and justice of our society, or diminishing it? Are we redressing the wrong or enabling the wrong-doers? In our own relationships, are we spreading peace and harmony or division and mistrust? Are we focused on giving or on grasping?

The bottom line: Would an objective observer know by our actions and words that we are disciples of Jesus Christ? Or in the words I often heard when I was growing up – If we were on trial for being Christians, would there be enough evidence to convict us?

God is pleading with us. Are we listening?

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:

Genesis 12:1-4a
2 Timothy 1:8b-10
Matthew 17: 1-9

Reflection:

How can I listen to Jesus over the next few weeks? What is he telling me?

We all need a quiet place to sit down and listen to Jesus. How often do we do this? Lent is a time of the year to focus more closely on what Jesus has to say to us. We need to have an examination of our conscious. In the Gospel Jesus is transfigured. His face shines like the sun, his clothes become white as light. He is joined by his closest friends, as well as Moses and Elijah. They hear God’s voice from the cloud saying: “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5). When we listen to Jesus his words have a way of transforming us into someone who is more Christlike. We get a glimpse of who Jesus really is on the mountain. His divinity shines like a bright light. He is God. He is divine and He is human. It reminds us of the sacrifice he made when he became human like.

In just a few weeks after the transfiguration, Jesus will be disfigured. He will be struck, scourged, spat upon, and mocked with a crown of thorns. Spikes will pierce his hands and feet as he is nailed to a cross. His friends will have abandoned him. There will be no voice from a cloud: Jesus will believe himself forsaken by his Father. Bystanders will think he is calling for Elijah.

We are called to accept both visions of his identity: the disfigured Victim, the transfigured Lord. Transfigured today, Jesus becomes disfigured for our sins, to be transfigured in glory in the end. He did this for all mankind to have everlasting life. He made the ultimate sacrifice of His life for our sins and salvation. We all need to take time and listen to Him. What is He trying to tell us?

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 Passionist Family.

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

“…But I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you…” (MT  5:44)

As a teacher, especially a new, young teacher, I enjoyed the reputation as a “nice” teacher, one that students could relate to. I guess that was largely due to being new and inexperienced. I believe being new, I was also open to learning, learning not only the ways to teach reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, but even more importantly learning to love my students. These students’ school experience, at least up to this point in their life, was a “troubled” one. They were tagged with the label of incorrigible. As a new teacher, that label was just a word. I had really never met someone who was “incorrigible”.

It didn’t take me too long to learn though. Soon, I realized the “incorrigible” students were the students who didn’t like me. Often, I believe, they didn’t like me because they saw me as the enemy, part of the establishment that had labeled and marginalized them. I didn’t understand all that as a new teacher, I just knew that some students resisted my attempts to get to know them and to teach them. They were “problems” and yes, I often wished that they would stay home or get sent to someone else’s class. I didn’t love them.

Today, looking back on those “problem” students I realize, they were the ones who taught me. They really weren’t my enemy, any more than I was their enemy. They taught me about a world of abuse and neglect and discrimination that I had never experienced, after all, I wore a different label, “good student”. I was a “smart” student and learned quickly. They taught me how to survive in a world that doesn’t like me, that sees me as the enemy.

Twenty years later, coming out as a gay man in the Catholic Church, I used those skills. I did what I told my students to do: “Just show up. No matter what, show up. Don’t fight back, but love those who hate and marginalize you.” Of course, some would say I should have learned that lesson from Jesus. My students, however, were much more present to me and I needed their presence.

God, help me to love my enemies today and see them as the gift they truly are.

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

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

Several years ago, while serving in Kentucky’s House of Representatives, a memorial resolution honoring a former U.S. Senator came to us for a vote. The recently deceased United States senator had supported the Viet Nam war over four decades before.

Along with many, I thought the war in South East Asia was a tragic mistake. Instead of speaking against the resolution for the former senator, I decided to be respectful and simply not vote on it.

The representative seated next to me noticed my failure to vote and asked why I had not voted.

“He was one of the people responsible for the Viet Nam War,” I explained.

The representative then asked a question that pierced my self-righteousness: “Don’t you believe in forgiveness?”

Without hesitation I pushed the green button on my desk, indicating my casting aside the grudge I had not realized I was carrying.

Being reconciled to one another, Jesus instructs us, is absolutely essential if we want a relationship with a God whose mercy is boundless.

We all want to be god-like in our judgment of one another. “I’ll show her!” “Who does he think he is?” “He hits you, you hit him harder.”  “I’ll never forget what she did!”

We learn these messages from early childhood and, if not checked by the Gospel message, we use them in business, among friends and neighbors and, worse of all, in our families.

Like my wise legislative seatmate, we can all use someone who pierces our wall of self-righteousness…someone who will remind us that we are to imitate God in extending mercy to all, even our worst enemies. That someone may be a trusted friend, confessor, spiritual director or spouse. But it ultimately comes down to examining our own consciences in our deep prayer time with Christ…and asking for forgiveness for ourselves.

Forgiving those who do us wrong not only frees us from the chains of wanting to settle a score, but, more importantly helps us understand our need for forgiveness from a loving God.

Jim Wayne is a board member of the Passionist Solidarity Network (PSN), and author of The Unfinished Man. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25
Matthew 7:7-12

Reflection:

Knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. -Matthew 7:7-8

“Knock, knock!”
“Who’s there?”
“Dwayne.”
“Dwayne who?”
“Dwayne the bathtub! I’m dwowning!”

Most of us are familiar with knock-knock jokes. They are a simple form of humor that plays with puns in the form of first names. But if you’ve spent much time around young children, you’ve probably noticed that they don’t seem to get the form correct. For example, you might hear something like this:

“Knock, knock!”
“Who’s there?”
“Apple.”
“Apple who?”
“Apple on your head!”

followed by peals of laughter and delight at how clever they are. So what does this have to do with today’s reading? Well, I think God like to play knock-knock jokes on us. But because our ways are not God’s ways and our thoughts are not God’s thoughts, they seem more like the children’s version. Jesus tells us to knock and we will be answered. Often when I knock on God’s door and ask for what I need, it seems there’s no connection between the answer I’m given and what I asked for. It might go something like this:

“Knock, knock!”
“WHAT DO YOU NEED, CHILD?”
“Riches.”
“THEN I WILL SEND YOU A SPECIAL NEEDS SON WHO WILL ADD NOTHING TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT BUT FILL YOUR HEART TO OVERFLOWING.”

You see, I think when I pray to God and ask for what I want, I’m way too specific on what the answer should look like. I need to let God answer my prayers in His own way. And I need to maintain an open heart, and a listening inner ear that is ready to recognize God in the reply. It’s like the old story of the man who was caught in a flood. He was told to evacuate, but he refused, saying, “God will care for me.” The waters continued to rise and his neighbors came by in a boat to rescue him, but he refused, saying, “God will care for me.” Finally he had to get on the roof of the house and a helicopter came to his rescue, but he refused, saying, “God will care for me.” He finally was swept away in the flood and was drowned (like Dwayne above). When he met God he said, “Lord, why didn’t you answer my prayers and make the waters recede?” God replied, “I sent you help three times, but you refused each time.”

My prayer for today is that I have the grace to hear God’s answer to me as He intends it.

Along with working as an independent teacher, Talib Huff volunteers and works at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights. You may contact him at [email protected].

Scripture:

Jonah 3:1-10
Luke 11:29-32

Reflection:

God Cares!  God Loves!

Today’s Scriptures highlight the actions of Jesus, and the Old Testament figures of Jonah and the king of Nineveh.  People were needy:  the crowds who followed Jesus wanted a “sign” of Jesus’ power; the entire ancient city of Nineveh was caught up in a web of destructive, evil ways.

No doubt, God cares – and responds to our needs in special ways.  The at-first reluctant prophet Jonah made his way to the large, evil city of Nineveh and began preaching to everyone the need for repentance and a change of heart.  The king of Nineveh heard and quickly responded to Jonah’s message, calling for a city-wide program of penance and change of heart.  And it happened!  Wow!

Jesus was sent to preach and heal, to give of himself and bring about a change of heart for everyone.  In today’s Gospel selection he chides the people who continue to seek “signs”, rather than acknowledge His words, wisdom, and witness – “something greater than Solomon…something greater than Jonah…”  He challenged the people to go beyond physical expressions of power — to powerful transformations of the human heart…from lives of selfishness to lives of selflessness.  God cares!  God loves!

Our Lenten prayer, fasting, and sacrifices are means of personally experiencing God’s care for us and our world – and encouragements to live lives that witness God’s transforming love for our needy world.  No doubt our world needs God’s love to change contemporary hearts that are besieged with mistrust, anger, fear, lust, impatience, etc. – as was the case in Nineveh and the world of Jesus’ earthly days.

These days God calls us to a more intimate communication (prayer), to a deeper sensitivity to the gifts and needs of our lives (fasting), and a greater outreach to those in any need (sacrifices).  May these days of Lent 2020 help us experience the depths of God’s love and care for us and our world!

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

Scripture:

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
Matthew 25:31-46

Reflection:

Matthew presents Jesus the universal judge who presides over a grand assembly of the faithful and the many and discerns whether they have lived according to his gospel.

At first the scene might be on to evoke fear and concern in our hearts.

But let us look more deeply.

Yes, it is a teaching of Jesus that speaks of judgement, but it does this in a way to highlight that the gospel requires of us more than mere words and intentions. The essence of the teaching is that living the good news means acting in ways that are just, generous and that are outreaching to those less fortunate.

So we might notice that the ‘judgment’ – the statements of Jesus – are merely a statements about what already has been done, or failed to be done. It merely brings out a reality that has been present all along.

Secondly notice the element of surprise. Both those who have failed to reach out beyond themselves in order to care for others and indeed those who have in fact done this – are both surprised! Both express astonishment that in fact Jesus was to be seen, found and served in such moments.

Those who have failed to act generously in life are astonished that in every cry there was a chance to serve Jesus.

Those who have in fact reached out to the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the ill and the incarcerated are equally surprised to find that in doing so they were serving Jesus too.

In all of this perhaps we see that acting justly, compassionately and caringly is an innate quality. It happens naturally and spontaneously as an expression of who we really are. Equally we see in this story the power of selfishness and self centredness to blind us and to prevent us from actin on what otherwise might be our true nature.

We are made for each other. We are social creatures. More so we are made in God’s image and likeness and so are essentially relational. A real expression of our nature is thus to reach out to others around us who need our help and concern.

There are many ways to reach out to the needy. To give but two examples of what I mean here.  The imprisoned are more prevalent than merely those in jails – there are many imprisoned by false self-images or bullied so that they shrink into the narrowest and loneliest of places to live. The hungry are not only on the streets but often in our midst as well fed people, who in fact hunger for affection or for rest or for spiritual nourishment. And the list goes on.

Let us tend the practice of compassion in our lives. Let it grow to be a natural and spontaneous response to need. In such ways we will develop the attitudes that underpin the responses that Jesus so ardently seeks in our world

The season of Lent is such an ideal time to make these renewal efforts Let us live these forty days in that spirit.

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