Claire Smith

Scripture:

Genesis 32:23-33
Matthew 9:32-38

Reflection:

The Patriarchs – Always Interesting Family Dynamics  

The story of the Patriarchs in Genesis is fascinating. They are challenging, ancient stories told many times over and adjusted to differing situations. In some cases, the repetition of a story reveals an alternative purpose. Other times, we have one story that blends of several stories.

The Jacob stories conclude today. It is important that Jacob leave Canaan and visit his mother’s brother, Laban. Two reasons are woven together in the story. Jacob has stirred up the anger of Esau, and best leave town to let things quiet down. But we hear also that Esau has taken wives from among the Canaanites who do not follow the God of Abraham and Isaac. Rebekah is not happy with her daughter in laws. Her brother Laban will be a good place to send Jacob, and sure enough Jacob falls in love.

On his way Jacob stops at Bethel, a place made holy by Abraham who built and altar there. Using one of the stones for a pillow Jacob sleeps. God is revealed to him in his dream,‘…the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants…. Know I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.’ Jacob is awakened to God’s mystery, ‘The Lord is in this place and I did not know it!’. He makes a vow. Not a vow of one who stands in wonder before the majesty of God, rather the type of vow that would seem to invite God to stand Jacob on his head and lift him up by his feet and bang his head on the ground – several times. ‘If you remain with me, protect me, feed and clothe me, and I come back safe to my father’s house, you shall me my God.’ Thank you, Jacob. But at least it is an awakening for Jacob.

He has two obstacles to deal with after living in the house of Laban and marrying Leah and Rachel. First is Laban who tries to outwit him. Jacob wins. He leaves quickly without saying good bye only to be pursued by his father in law. God helps Jacob by making it know to Laban that he is not to harm him. The story ends happily with the bonds of family preserved for future generations. One obstacle removed; now onto Esau. Jacob is really afraid. That night preparing for his dreaded encounter with Esau, alone in the camp, a man wrestles with him until dawn. Jacob receives a new name, Israel. His descendants will be Israelites. The place of this wrestling match is named by Jacob as Phanuel, ‘the face of God’. It was there that Jacob saw God face to face, and his life was spared.’ He was dropped the final time on his head! He does what his grandfather Abraham had done before him, he comes into the promised land that he had left many years before.

These patriarchs are unique. The adaptable Abraham; Isaac whom God always helped when things didn’t look promising; and Jacob, who in trying to do it on his own (with his mother’s help) encountered unsurmountable obstacles. But most importantly he had to meet God face to face. Jacob did not have a table conversation as Abraham but a wrestling match. There God’s love convincingly embraced Jacob. Now, with conviction Jacob could say, ‘The God of Israel’.  And we pray, ‘God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob’.

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

Scripture:

Isaiah 66:10-14c
Galatians 6:14-18
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

Reflection:

Some time ago, I sat in a meeting of vital importance to the attendees, where a young mother nursed her baby. She did this discreetly, but I couldn’t help but notice. Oddly enough, the topic for the meeting was turning our will and life over to the care of God. Many people shared their experiences of doing this, but I couldn’t help but think how that baby presented a live demonstration for me and all of us awake enough to observe what was happening in our midst.

Periodically, maybe daily, I make the mistake of turning on the News. Of course, I discover nothing new, more of the same mayhem, fighting and killing in the world. I understand that the media must present material that grabs our attention. They need to sell their products and pay their news people and oh yes, make a profit for the investors. I often wonder why, though the Good News Isaiah speaks to in today’s reading doesn’t sell, doesn’t get us to watch with awe and wonder:

“For thus says the LORD:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
as a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.” (IS 66: 12-13)

Or what about what Luke tells us:

The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (LK 10: 17-20)

Maybe it’s too good to be true. I don’t believe it is. I believe these things Isaiah and Luke talk to us about today are happening all around us. We just need to turn our cameras on them and like the baby at a mother’s breast take in the nourishment and trust in God, our Mother.

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

Scripture:

Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29
Matthew 9:14-17

Reflection:

The ardent disciples of John the Baptist were confused by the casual ways of the followers of Jesus. Jewish spiritual traditions rested on three legs: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. Why didn’t Jesus insist his followers adhere to the third prescribed practice, formed over centuries, to fast twice a week like every other good Jew?

In his wisdom, Jesus cautions the disciples of his cousin John to think deeper than rules and rituals. In telling the questioners to respect the context of the moment, he is saying “Pay attention first to the workings of the Spirit right here, right now.” What workings? HE is in their midst right now! His presence is cause for celebration, not fasting, right now!

This teaching shows up in our generation in popular books like The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and Be Here Now by Ram Dass. Some may think these writers have discovered an amazing new insight into living. Not so.

I wonder if, in our age, the best way to live the 3 legs of the practice of our faith to appreciate God’s presence right now is, ironically, to reconsider fasting. Electronic fasting. Would we all not benefit from an hour, an afternoon, a day with the phone, the computer and TV turned to OFF. Perhaps our minds would be less cluttered, our bodies less tense, our focus on loved ones more intense, and our connection to Christ stronger in the present moment.

To stay close to Christ, to appreciate Christ in ourselves and each other, there must be times, guided by the Spirit, to pull back, be still, listen to and observe God speaking, communicating, guiding and filling us with zeal as followers of the God-Man in our midst. Right now.

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

Scripture:

Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
Matthew 9:9-13

Reflection:

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  –Matthew 9:11

They say you can gain a sense of a person by the company they keep. Who among us has not felt a little pride when we have met or even shared bread with a celebrity or person of note? In our parishes, “Dinner with Father” is often auctioned off with great success at fundraisers. I still remember shaking John Glenn’s hand at an event over 20 years ago, and yet often I cannot remember the name of someone I was introduced to 15 minutes later. We place great store on the reputation of others and how it might rub off (for good or bad) on us.

I imagine this was something of what the Pharisees had in mind when they questioned Jesus’ disciples. They must have been flabbergasted that Jesus chose to eat with outsiders and the marginalized when he could choose to eat with the rich and famous (them). Instead, Jesus’ answer was simple: ‘This is what I came to do’. And, as always, Jesus calls us to do the same. Who are the “tax collectors and sinners” in our lives with whom we can break bread? Not just sinners in the traditional sense, but possibly our own family or friends who have “trespassed against us?” Can we find in our hearts the space to invite in those we marginalize?

But to go even deeper, are there parts of ourselves that need healing? Have we declared some parts of who we are to be outsiders and shunned them? Earlier in Matthew Jesus calls us to “be perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” The Greek word teleios which is translated as “perfect” can also mean “complete” or “whole.” Are there wounded parts of ourselves that need to be brought back to the table for healing and forgiveness before we can be whole?

Jesus is forever crossing the lines of what we feel is proper conduct. My prayer today is that I have the courage and strength to follow Him across those lines, both outwardly and in myself.

Talib Huff works and volunteers at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights. He can be reached at [email protected].

Scripture:

Genesis 22:1-19
Matthew 9:1-8

Reflection:

God is Good…All the Time!!

The above phrase is truly fitting for us as we Americans celebrate our God-given gift of Freedom this 4^th of July.  God continues to bless us with many gifts, challenging us to be good stewards of those gifts and generous in sharing these resources with people “down the street” and “around the world”.  As people of faith, we call out:  “God is good…all the time!”

God’s goodness comes alive for us today as we ponder the Scriptures for today, Thursday of the 13^th Week in Ordinary Time.  Our Genesis reading offers the touching story of Abraham as he faithfully sought to respond to God’s call to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac; the saga takes a welcome turn when the divine Messenger halts the sacrifice and acknowledges Abraham’s deep faith.  Abraham was thus blessed to become the father of many peoples, part of God’ unfolding plan of salvation, ultimately accomplished in Jesus.  Matthew’s Gospel story of Jesus’ multi-dimensional cure of the paralytic bespeaks God’s goodness in the forgiveness of sinfulness and the healing of illness and human limitations.  The cured man was told to take up his stretcher and go home…to join the others in glorifying God who is all-loving.  “God is good…all the time!”

Today, in the midst of the festivities and fireworks, the food and fellowship that characterize this celebration of Independence, we’re invited to pause and reflect – to be grateful for the goodness of God shared in so many ways, and then to recommit ourselves to lives that are faith-filled and other-centered.  We may not be tested as was Abraham; our problems may not be as limiting as those of the paralytic – yet we are invited to proclaim God’s goodness in word and deed.  With Abraham and Isaac, with the crowds that witnessed the cure of the paralytic, with the psalmist who shared with us the beautiful thoughts of Psalm 115:  may we bless and glorify God, walking in God’s presence…all the time!  Amen!

Fr. John Schork, C.P. is a member of the Passionist community in Chicago, Illinois. 

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:19-22
John 20:24-29

Reflection:

“Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him, the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Eph. 2:19-22

How fantastic that we are part of the household of God! We are brothers and sisters with the saints and holy ones, and together we are the place where God dwells in the Spirit. It’s hard to imagine that when we get caught up in our daily troubles or in the really difficult trials of life this side of heaven. But it’s true! How blest we are to have access to the communion of saints. We can learn so much from them! And they are at this very moment praying for us and cheering us on to the finish line.

One of my favorite saints is Francis of Assisi. I was fortunate to go on a pilgrimage and visit Assisi one year. We found a bronze statue of Francis laying on the ground hands behind his head gazing up into the sky. His sandals are near him in the grass. I knew we were kindred spirits at that moment. One day I will meet him and we will share this favorite pastime!

And in today’s Gospel, I love how the Lord responded to Thomas’s statement that he had to see before he could believe. He simply gave him exactly what he asked for so that he could believe. He didn’t berate him but loved him just as he was and he will do the same for us. We can take comfort and courage from the stories of our older brothers and sisters in the faith. Pick a saint today, read about their life, and then ask them to pray for you as you continue your journey toward meeting God and meeting them!

Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Bainbridge Island, Washington, and partnered with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 6. Janice also leads women’s retreats and recently published her second book: God IS with Us. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.janicecarleton.com/.

Scripture:

Genesis 19:15-29
Matthew 8:23-27

Reflection:

I’m not much of a seafarer. In fact, I’ve rarely been at sea save for the occasional ferry journey between islands in various Passionist Mission territories. In the case of my own homeland there are not too many neighbouring islands within ferry distance save for the ferry from the mainland to the island state of Tasmania which is an 11-hour overnight journey.

However, I do have vivid childhood memories of the ferry ride from the City of Perth to Rottnest Island some 34 kilometres from Perth (approximately 21 miles). [Rottnest Island is home to the Australian quokka – a marsupial and which looks like a very small version of a kangaroo (they belong to the same family as the kangaroo or wallaby). The early Dutch explorers thought they were rats, thus the name ‘rats nest’ i.e. ‘rott nest’ island.]

Anyway, back to the boat ride from Perth to Rottnest. As my family returned from a day on the island, the boat ran into a sudden and severe storm and the previously calm sea became angry and fierce. Waves exploded over the side of the boat and everyone had to hold on for dear life. As a child it was an exciting ride, much like a roller-coaster, but when I look back and recall the look of concern and worry on the faces of my mother and father, I can now appreciate that they were very worried for the safety of their family. A fearfulness that revealed a deeper concern and love.

In today’s gospel reading we see a scene of the disciples gripped by fear too, but perhaps a fear for their own lives!

However, let’s shift our focus from mere seafaring fears to those that arise in life itself.  For if we look at the story with a view to its symbolic significance then we might see the sea as a great symbol of time and history and the boat as image of the little church sailing faithfully across the oceans of time and space bearing the good news of Jesus to every land.

In such a scenario the fear of the disciples in our story might mirror the fears and concerns that Christians have had to face across the entire history of the Church. For in every age the Church has been lashed by ‘storms’! Further we might venture to suggest that in the life journey of every Christian there comes a time when faith is sorely tested and to keep a steady course, and witness to Christ above all else, is very difficult indeed.

The disciples today confirm a pattern that Christians have followed for ages on end. In times of concern and threat we naturally turn to the one who has power to save us.  Perhaps we need not feel guilty to do so. The disciples themselves show us the prayer that seems to arise spontaneously from within….. “Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”

Let us hold fast to our trust that Jesus will always be the one who seeks to save us. He is ready to rebuke the winds and seas that rouble us and to restore calm to our frightened hearts. We may encounter many fears long life’s journey but let us never be afraid to turn to him in our trials!

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