Claire Smith

Thanksgiving Day (USA)

Scripture:

Daniel 6:12-28
Luke 21:20-28

Reflection:

Today, in the United States, we gather to celebrate the national holiday of Thanksgiving!  It is a day when we pause to give thanks for the many blessings we have.  We gather to eat special foods, visit with family and friends, pray together, watch football, tune into Macy’s Thanksgiving parade in New York.  These are just a few of the ways this holiday is celebrated.  I am looking forward to a trip to visit family and friends in Michigan, participate in the annual Y Turkey Trot on Thursday, attend liturgy at the local parish and overall enjoy time away and a chance to just be.

It doesn’t matter what language you speak or what traditions you celebrate to mark this special day.  It does matter that we take time not just on this one day, but every day to give thanks.  We are a nation that is blessed beyond words!  We are a people that is blessed beyond explanation!  For me, I find each day brings more blessings which leave me humbled and grateful!

This past week we have celebrated several gratitude events here in the parish that have left me feeling very much on HOLY ground!

• Our women’s small faith group ended the fall season with a turkey dinner, prayer and sharing how this time for us has been one of faith, hope and charity and most of all gratitude for the opportunity!
• Our regional family faith formation consisting of 32 families with 50 children together celebrated our annual turkey dinner, prayed together, donated items for the food pantry and homeless shelter and ended the evening with a rousing game of turkey bingo!  Everyone had a great time, there were lots of ‘thank you’s and hugs exchanged as people departed!
• Our RCIA inquirers, team and sponsors met last evening. We set aside time for reflection and sharing about how this process of the last 11 weeks has been for all of us.  Once again the gratitude for faith growth, community building, prayer experiences that was expressed by the group was overwhelming.  The spirit was surely at work among this newly formed community.  It was a great evening of rejoicing as we look forward in faith to the upcoming Rite of Welcome and Acceptance.

It seems a sense of the negative surrounds our world so often these days.  It is good to be reminded and celebrate all the wonderful things that are happening.  In 1 THES 5:18 we are given some great advice with these words:

In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will
               Of God for you in Christ Jesus.
               Alleluia, alleluia!

One of our catechumens shared a suggestion he had been given recently to send a card of thanks to someone whom you want to thank in a special way this Thanksgiving.  Let’s all take the time to do this and make this season of giving thanks special for those who receive them.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Theresa Secord is a Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
Luke 21:12-19

Reflection:

They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.
-Luke 21:12

How many times in your life have you had to be patient and persevere through challenges as you practice your Christian lifestyle? Jesus tells us that to follow him is not an easy task – but He and only He will give you the wisdom and gifts necessary to sustain you as you experience all that comes before you. We know that not everyone will be a friend to you, not everyone will accept or understand what our faith entails, what sacrifice and humility mean to those who follow Christ. But I know that every path He leads me to, every painful event and every joyful event, every obstacle and every clear path, prepares and leads me to the next chapter of my experiences as a Christian.

Some of us watch as family members leave the church, and for a multitude of reasons. As a convert, my heart aches for those who have been given this beautiful gift of Catholic experiences of faith, because I had nothing growing up – no church experience with the family, no bible studies or beautiful rosaries. Being Catholic takes work – reading, studying, prayer, dedication, PERSEVERANCE.

Continue to persevere in your faith. Yes, there will be challenges. Will it be easy? Of course not – as a child of God many events in our lives will not be easy. But we are never alone – the presence of Christ is always with us, whether we want to believe it or not. He is our rock and fortress – our shield.

Patty Masson resides in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

Daniel 2:31-45
Luke 21:5-11

Reflection:

It’s Complicated was a 2009 movie starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin that chronicled a, well, complicated relationship. It was probably more than complicated. It was messy.

This week families and friends gather for Thanksgiving, a cherished holiday for many that seems destined to be subsumed into Christmas. But even this holiday is complicated, maybe even messy. It commemorates the gathering of the fruits of the earth and hopefully leads us to recognize how blessed we are. Yet it also conveys to Native Americans a time in history of being displaced. And when the holiday was established by President Abraham Lincoln, we were in the midst of a horrible civil war. It’s complicated.

We could say the same about today’s gospel predicting the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The selection from the Gospel of St. Luke points to messy times ahead: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” The rest of the chapter continues in like fashion until Jesus says, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Giving thanks this week is not about being grateful that everything has worked out so beautifully in life. It is a time of thanksgiving because the journey has not been perfect and yet we’ve made it through. Amid the struggles, the loss, the disappointments…the messiness…we still say “thanks.” It’s important to recognize that life is complicated, but that God’s love is far greater and is what draws us together and binds us together. We can all say “Amen” to that.

Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and was the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20
Luke 21:1-4

Reflection:

In our Scripture readings for today, we find some aspects of what it means to be a disciple. In our first reading from Daniel, we are introduced to Daniel and his companions, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. They are young men who have been brought to Babylon after the Babylonians conquered Israel to be of service to the Babylonian king.

Daniel and his companions show themselves to be exceptional young men. Here they are, in exile from their native land, and they still “bloom where they are planted.” (We pray that the refugees from war-torn lands will also be able to bloom where they land). They refuse the food given to them, most likely because it is unclean according to the Mosaic Law, but they flourish on vegetables. So they remain true to who they are, and in a phrase I learned in Alabama, and whose they are. God did not abandon them when they were taken from Israel.

Daniel and his companions show us that no matter where we are, God is with us, and that we can still grow in love and service, even though we may be far from what is familiar and comfortable.

In our Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus observes a poor widow putting a few cents into the Temple treasury, and remarks, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” What the widow teaches us is that we are called to give, not out of what’s extra, but of ourselves. And even though we may look at ourselves as poor, in terms of what we can offer, we are still called to give. God can use our “poverty” to connect with those who are feeling poor themselves.

As disciples, we are called to serve, wherever we are, in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves. We do so, knowing that God is with us always, giving us what we need to do His will for us.

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is a member of the Passionist Community in Birmingham, Alabama.

Feast of Christ the King

Scripture:

2 Samuel 5:1-3
Colossians 1:12-20
Luke 23:35-43

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel contains one of the most beautiful prayers in the whole Scripture!   The felon crucified with Jesus begs Him: “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” Lk 23:42  The Inspired Greek text uses the imperfect tense for the criminal’s request which indicates he asks Jesus over and over again.   Memory and its derivatives are used over 90 times in the New Testament.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, we find remembering an especially important word. It is zākar and it appears over 222 times “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will worship before You.” Ps 22;28  A basic element in OT piety is that man remembers the past acts of God, His commandments and His unexhausted possibilities.  A frequent prayer in OT is “remember me”! “Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your lovingkindness remember me, for Your goodness sake, O Lord. Ps 25:7   “Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” Judges16:28

In American English, our word remembering is very close to the Scriptural use.  “You are in my mind, my memory, and in my heart.”    The felon continually pleads with Jesus to place him, a criminal, in His caring mind and heart.  With one another we can be no closer than to be in the mind and heart of each other.  What a moment of mercy and graciousness of Jesus for a miserable failure!   To use Augustine’s phrase:” Misericordia et misera.” (Mercy and Misery)  It is a phrase used by Saint Augustine in recounting the story of Jesus’ meeting with the woman taken in adultery.  Calvary is the greatest rendezvous of humanity and Divinity!  It is meeting of sinful man and an incredibly forgiving and loving God!

The prayer of the felon should capture our attention!  No matter how others evaluate us we are all criminals before God for what we have done or especially not done!   Prayer places us in the presence of the crucified Christ.   This love of Christ on the cross is eternal.  It is in real-time, alive and not fossilized.  Somebody said watch carefully the short prayers in the Scriptures.   Among the finest: “Jesus, remember me”.     Put me in Your mind and heart at the greatest expression of Your care and forgiveness for us on Calvary.

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

Scripture:

1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59
Luke 19:45-48

Reflection:

Today’s gospel is so provocative. After Jesus’ display of frustration in the temple area, the Chief Priests, the scribes and the leaders were seeking to put Him to death.

The last line is my favorite. The one I always seem to focus on.

“but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.” (Luke 19:48)

One of my favorite priests once told me, in scripture, nothing but after the BUT matters. Here I find that blazingly important. ‘BUT’, they could find no way to accomplish their purpose, their evil, ‘because all the people were hanging on His words.’

What an incredible world those people lived in. “Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16) walked among them and still evil entwined itself into the hearts of so many. In today’s world evil too has entwined itself. This scripture gives us the answer. To hang on His words. In order not to fall for cultural words that are less than His Truth, go to the scripture on a daily basis. Read the daily readings.

So that is the challenge today. To hang on His every word. How will you hear His word today?

Kate Mims is the Retreat Center Director at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31
Luke 19:11-28

Reflection:

In our first reading today, we hear an account of the suffering of one of the most courageous women in the history of Israel, the Mother of the seven Maccabean martyrs.  She, along with her seven sons, sided with the Maccabean rebels against the Seleucid conquerors who were trying to stamp out Judaism.  Challenged to declare their loyalty to the Seleucid empire by eating pork, she and all her sons refused.  Antiochus, the Seleucid King, had her sons killed one by one in her presence.  He kept promising her and her sons great favor if they would pledge their loyalty to him.  Encouraged by the words and faithfulness of their Mother, the sons, one by one refused and were tortured and put to death.  Today we hear the story of her youngest son and the encouragement she gave him.  Her courage in the face of such a horrible threat and suffering has become a model for everyone persecuted for their faith.

Courage of a different sort is highlighted in today’s Gospel.  The courage to use the gifts God gives us to help build the kingdom.  So often we let fear keep us from using our gifts effectively.  Our fear of making a mistake, or of being misjudged by others, or of taking a risk can keep us from acting in an unexpected situation.  Through his parable, Jesus clearly calls us to have the courage to use our talents and gifts to transform our world.

Today, as we remember the courage of the seven Maccabean Martyrs and their extraordinary Mother as well as the challenge of Jesus to use our talents and gifts to build up the Kingdom of God, we pray that we, too, may meet the challenges in our lives with courage and faith.

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