Claire Smith

Scripture:

Isaiah 43:16-21
Philippians 3:8-14
John 8:1-11

Reflection:

The article on the front page of The Blaze, the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach (AGLO) Sunday Bulletin went on to describe how the Bemba, an indigenous people living in Zambia, Africa in small groups of 50 to 150 members, deal with someone who has done something wrong. They stop all they are doing, gather together and place the offender in the middle of a circle and one by one they begin to tell the offender everything good they know about him or her. They continue this ritual until everyone in the village has had a turn. Then they celebrate, welcoming him or her back into the community.

What a contrast to our present-day society where we seem intent on pursuing every wrong committed by everyone, and making sure the offender is prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law.

I wonder if the Bemba ever heard of Jesus? If they did or didn’t, they sure live the teachings in today’s gospel selection. You know the story. The teachers (Scribes and Pharisees) bring a woman to Jesus and present the problem: “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.” (JN 8:4) YIKES! Adultery! Couldn’t John have picked some not so serious sin? Anyway, I’ve read that the Hebrew word for adultery could mean a whole host of sins including idolatry.  Now, I can relate to that.

I don’t mean to be excusing the woman’s behavior any more than I want to excuse mine.  What I do want to do though is realize that I’m eligible too. Any day that woman could easily be me. I just want to express my gratitude for Jesus who tells the woman after a kind of mysterious exchange between him and her accusers:

“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
(JN 8: 10-11)

Some good advice, don’t you think? I wish I had been that sympathetic with my students when I was teaching.

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

Scripture:

Exodus 32:7-14
John 5:31-47

Reflection:

Mediating God’s Message of Life and Love

Today’s reading from Exodus is truly extraordinary:  Moses humbly stands before an irate God to intercede for the rebellious and ungrateful Israelites.  God was angry!  The Israelites had created and were worshipping a molten calf; God was ready to “disown” the people, and even destroy the “stiff-necked” people.  Moses was called upon to mediate the delicate situation.  Ultimately, God relented in the punishment He had threatened.  Hmnnn…

The Gospel selection presents a similar situation.  Jesus is speaking with the Jewish leaders, trying to help the people get the bigger picture of His Life and Mission – to encourage belief in Him and His mission of enfleshing God’s redemptive love for all people of all time.  Their minds and hearts were closed, they were not listening.  Jesus has strong, direct words with his audience:  “…you do not have the love of God in you.”  And yet He didn’t give up…He continued His journey which led to further teaching and miracles, to suffering and Calvary – and ultimately Easter.  Yes!!

Lent is a time for us to again address our rebellion, our ingratitude, our “worship” of power / money / prestige / technology – our lack of fidelity as members of God’s family.  In today’s readings, with great feeling both Moses and Jesus address us and challenge us to wake up, to turn away from selfishness and sin, to believe and to love selflessly.  Both Moses and Jesus don’t give up on their people – and us!

As we move into the “2^nd half” of our 2019 Lenten journeys, may we continue to further open our hearts to the transforming, enriching, salvific love offered us in Jesus’ Life, His Passion and Death, His Rising to Life.  As the Entrance Antiphon for today’s Eucharist states (from Psalm 105):  “Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek God’s face.”

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

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:8-15
John 5:17-30

Reflection:

“Yahweh is tenderness and pity, slow to anger, full of faithful love. ⁹ He is generous to all, his tenderness embraces all his creatures; trustworthy in all his words, and upright in all his
deeds.¹⁴ Yahweh supports all who stumble, lifts up those who are bowed down. ¹⁷ Upright in all that he does, He acts only in faithful love. ¹⁸ He is close to all who call upon him, all who call on him from the heart.” Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18

If we ever wonder if God loves us, we only need to read these words! But if we question God’s love, maybe it’s because they are only words to us… We need to go beyond the words to an experience of God’s love. We need to believe these words are true and ask God to show us they are real. When our kids were growing up, I remember encouraging them to question all that we told them about God. I told them they could ask God to reveal Himself to them so that they would know He was real. I told them they couldn’t’ get to heaven on my faith, that they needed to make it their own. So, how can we open ourselves up to His Presence?

There are many ways to do this. We can experience God in the sacraments. Since they are “outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace,” we can receive a touch from God. We can look for God in scripture. As we read, we can invite the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and help us grow in our understanding of who God is for us. We can surrender our lives to the working of the Holy Spirit and let Him take over. He will correct us and remind us of all Jesus said when he was on earth. He will comfort us and guide us and teach us. We all need the Holy Spirit!

There are a set of YouTube videos called “The Wild Goose” that discuss this very topic and are well worth the time to watch them. (Go to youtube.com and search for The Wild Goose.) Come Holy Spirit! May we all ask for more of the Holy Spirit every day so that we will know for sure the depth and height and breadth of God’s incredible love for each of us. “Can a woman forget her baby at the breast, feel no pity for the child she has borne? Even if these were to forget, I shall not forget you.” Is 49:15

God is for us, He is behind us and before us. He loves us with an everlasting love, and will never leave us or forsake us. May we throw ourselves every day into the arms of the God who loves more than we can ever ask or imagine! His promises are amazing for all who believe in Him: “In all truth I tell you, whoever listens to my words, and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life; without being brought to judgment such a person has passed from death to life.” Jn 5:24 May we walk each day in His love knowing our future is secure in His Hands.

 

Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Bainbridge Island, Washington,  and partner 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/ or email her at [email protected].

Scripture:

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Luke 15:1-3,11-32

Reflection:

I always really liked this reading from Luke, usually referred to as the “Parable of the Prodigal Son.”  There is so much to this, if we take the time to look.  But at it’s most basic, and honestly, now, what sinner (like me) wouldn’t love to hear how, no matter what he did, this guy’s father not only welcomed him home, but threw what must have been the Block Party of the Century!  This is truly beautiful.

But Jesus’ amazingly deep story reveals to me that it’s not this reckless son who is the truly prodigal one.

If we take a look at the word, we’ll find that the word prodigal is defined as a person who spends resources in a wastefully extravagant way.  The Latin root is prodigus, which means lavish.  And if we take a moment to truly look at the story, we’ll find the father in this parable giving freely to his son not only his money, or his food, but his unending love and care. “While he was still a long way off, he caught sight of him and was moved with compassion.” (Lk 15:20)  This parent squandered the fortune of himself as he, lavishly, wastefully, and extravagantly, would let his love flow out like a flood washing over his son, a sinner.

The truly “prodigal” one is not the son…  it’s the Father, and that image of God, for me, is so beautiful.

But wait… There’s even more:  The older son is upset!  He doesn’t understand why the father is so forgiving of his evil little brother.  Wow, I can identify with that.  Why be so lenient?  The younger brother got exactly what he asked for and, not respecting it, thoughtlessly squandered it all.  How incredibly silly of him!

But, again, it’s the Father’s response which hits me like a ton of bricks – “Everything I have is yours.”  He, without reservation, still gives and loves and supports, no matter what.

No matter what.

If I look in the mirror, I wonder which of these three I identify with most.  Could it be the wasteful son?  Sometimes, yes.  Or the older son, who is faithful and serving always?  Hopefully a little more often than the other, yes, but still – sometimes.  And perhaps it could even be the Father, loving so deeply that he would unreservedly and with reckless abandon give every little bit of himself to those he loves?  Yes – I’ve felt that sometimes (although if I’m going to be completely honest, I’m ashamed to say it’s been way rarer than either of the other two).

This leaves me with some questions I really don’t want to contemplate or have to answer…

How have I been wasteful and negligent with the gifts I’ve been given?

How many times have I squandered not love, but hate – or turned my back on someone that hurt me?

How easily do I forgive?

Do I even give at all?

Prodigal God, thank you for squandering your most amazing love on us, no matter what.
Please grant us the grace to be the Prodigal one – let me run to, greet, embrace, and throw my forgiveness and love over everyone, as we start on the road home to You, together. Amen.

Paul Puccinelli is Director of Liturgy & Music at St. Rita Parish in Sierra Madre, CA, and a member of the Retreat-Team at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center.

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

God is stern with the arrogant, but to the humble he shows kindness. –1 Peter  5:5

Carl Jung told of a man who asked a rabbi, “How come in olden days God would show Himself to people but today nobody ever sees God?”  The rabbi said, “Because nowadays nobody can bow low enough.”  In the ordination ceremony for a priest, the one to be ordained lays prostrate before the altar for a period of prayer. At the start of Good Friday Liturgy the priest lays prostrate before the altar for a few minutes of prayer.  Physical prostration of the body is an act of humility before God.  We “bow low enough.”

To prepare ourselves for Sunday Mass we might imagine ourselves prostrate before the throne of God. This image in our minds will move our hearts, adjust our attitudes, empower our bodies, and engage our whole beings for the great act of worship.

In the letters of St. Paul, it seems at times that he is bragging about his greatness. But then he admits that it is all gift. “What do you (and I) have that you (and I) did not receive”(1 Corinthians 4:7).  Humility leads right into gratitude.

Humility does not shroud our gifts or suppress our talents. Humility does not deny our abilities or demean our individuality. Humility does not make us invisible, inferior, or indifferent.

Instead, humility frees us from the fear of being noticed. We are who we are. Humility frees us from the anxiety of performance. We do the best we can. Humility frees us from the stress of people pleasing. We no longer need the approval of others. Humility frees us from the need to control our world. We know the outcome is not in our power.

Humility frees us from the need to be right. We accept our limits. Humility frees us from the fluster we feel for well-deserved praise. We used the gifts we were given. Humility frees us to be ourselves—at our best under all circumstances. Once we know the truth, that all good things come from God, we live in liberty.

Be prepared.  “The one who humbles himself will be exalted.” -Luke 18:14  And God will be praised.

Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.   http://www.alanphillipcp.com/

Scripture:

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

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. -Mark 12:31

Reflection:

We are at the end of the third week of Lent and the challenges keep coming. I like the Lenten season. It reminds me of how much I still need to work on in my relationships with God and others. I always tell my students, “The hardest thing you will ever be is a Christian.” Lent is when this is most clear. Lent challenges us to spend 40 days fasting, praying and giving alms.

The Gospel for today challenges us to focus our efforts on loving God with all that we have and all that we are and included in that is love for our neighbor. For Christ, the love of God and love of neighbor are inseparable. We cannot love God alone and ignore our neighbor. In the world we live in today, this is a challenging message. We receive messages from society that tell us that if someone is not like us then we should not accept them. There are messages out there too that say all are accepted. It has become something like a yelling match. Who can yell the loudest or have the most messages. For myself, I have gone back to the old saying, actions speak louder than words. That just might be the message from today’s Gospel.

If we love someone we show them kindness, generosity and compassion. If we love God and take time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving then these graces may come a bit easier. If we are open to experiences, and the graces that come through those experiences, then that can bring us closer to loving God through our neighbor.

May this Lent be filled with many graces in loving your neighbor. Random acts of kindness are always a good place to begin.

Linda Schork is a theology teacher at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky.