Claire Smith

Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Luke 2:41-51a

Reflection:

It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes through faith. Romans 4:13

On this Solemnity when we venerate St. Joseph, spouse of Mary and foster father of Jesus, in both the Old and New Testament readings the Church recalls the promise made to Abraham by God that he would be the father of many nations. While the reading from Second Samuel tells us how that promise was made, in his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us why. It was the faith of Abraham that was the firm foundation on which the Lord would establish a people uniquely His own. It was from these people that ultimately the Lord would send His own Son. 

When the time came for Jesus to enter the world, the Lord sought another man of faith, a righteous man, to be a father. St. Joseph did not sire Jesus, but he served as a father from the line of Abraham in the flesh and more importantly as his heir in faith. We clearly see Joseph’s faith when he believes what the angel tells him, and he takes Mary into his home. What Scripture does not describe, however, are all the many other realities that required Joseph’s faith. It doesn’t tell us how he had to trust that he would have the wisdom to be a father to God’s Son. It doesn’t tell us that he had to believe that God would give him the grace to live a celibate life. It doesn’t tell us how he had to have faith that he could be worthy of such a role. There are numerous things Scripture doesn’t tell us explicitly about St. Joseph. Rather, it tells us what need to know. He was a man of faith.

There are many times when Scripture does not describe and give answers to the exact circumstances of our lives. In those moments, we have a choice. Will we become disillusioned, anxious, or resentful? Or rather, will we be like St. Joseph and his father Abraham and allow our faith to be the answer and the foundation for God’s promise in our lives?

Megan Silas is a Lay Passionist at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

We are in the second week of Lent and our readings for today immerse us even more deeply into the mystery of God’s mercy and compassionate love.  But gratefully, we are also shown a better way to make a difference where it can really count.  Let’s revisit the people’s plaintive plea from the book of Deuteronomy:

 “Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments!  We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.  We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day…”

We are “shamefaced”, so painfully aware of our sins and transgressions against all that is good and holy.  And so, we cry out to God above and plead for God’s mercy and forgiveness.  This cry out to the Lord is so very appropriate for all of us today as we see the horrid and tyrannical transgressions against God’s love and justice so present in our own land and in the world itself!  Repeatedly, in the psalm response for today’s Eucharist, we hear ourselves chanting, “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins!”

And how does the Lord respond?  The answer is so clear as we listen to the message proclaimed in the Gospel of Luke.  Be merciful as our Father in Heaven is merciful.  Don’t judge and condemn others.  Forgive and love one another.  How can we expect to receive God’s mercy and love when we refuse to offer the same thing to one another!

What I most appreciate about the readings from the Liturgy today is that what seems so overwhelming when we view all the evil around us can be transformed so simply if we only do what the Lord has asked of us from the very beginning.  Love one another; forgive and be merciful.  Then we will know mercy and love ourselves, and the world will not be the same!  It just has to start with each of us in our own way.  If we want the Lord to be kind and merciful to us, shouldn’t we all do the same for one another?  It has to begin somewhere.  It has to begin with us, right here and right now!

Fr. Pat Brennan, C.P. is the director of Saint Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Daniel 9:4b-10
Luke 6:36-38

Reflection:

Today’s readings could fittingly be described as a “crash course” in Christianity because they tell us everything we need to know: We are sinners. God is forgiving, compassionate, and merciful. And we are called to be the same by extending to others the mercy and forgiveness God lavishly and unstintingly bestows upon us.

The first reading from the Book of Daniel gets straight to the point: “We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and laws.” That heartfelt confession strips away any consoling illusion of innocence, any soothing pretense of undefiled goodness and virtue. When we hear those words (or whisper them silently) our own failures to do good are suddenly and painfully remembered. We recall times we did something that wounded a neighbor we were given to love. We ruefully recollect little betrayals; thoughtless acts born in bitterness, anger, or resentment; or simply the countless occasions we had a chance to love and didn’t bother. No wonder we find ourselves nodding in assent when the people unanimously exclaim that “we are shamefaced even to this day.”

Thankfully, that is not the end of the story because, as today’s psalm response continually reiterates, God does “not deal with us according to our sins.” Despite our persistent waywardness, despite our almost chronic hardness of heart, the God we reject and betray loves us all the same, responding to our sin with endless mercy, compassion, and love.

We show our gratitude by offering that same compassion, forgiveness, and love whenever we can to whomever we can. When we do, we fulfill Jesus’ command in today’s gospel: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” To take that summons to heart, and to live by it day-after-day, is to know the abundant new life that is found in being a recovering sinner.

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 of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 9:28b-36

Reflection:

Last week, we reflected on the temptation of Jesus in the desert, when the devil tempted Jesus to betray His true self; to serve Himself instead of being obedient to the Father’s plan, coming to serve rather than to be served. We reflected on our own temptation to be false to who we are, and our call to be true to who God created us to be.

Just as the Gospel reading for the First Sunday of Lent is always the account of Jesus being tempted in the desert, the Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Lent is always the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop. This year we have Luke’s account (Luke 9:28b – 36). At the Transfiguration, Peter and James and John get a glimpse of the fullness of Jesus that is to come. During the temptation, Jesus was tempted to betray His true self. Here, Jesus’ true self is revealed. When Jesus is transfigured, a voice from heaven declares, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” Luke tells us that on the mountaintop, Moses and Elijah appear and speak “of the exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.” Jesus reveals everything about being the Son of the Father in His Passion, death, and Resurrection. I think Peter, James and John do not speak of this at the time was because they didn’t fully understand what it meant until Easter, or even Pentecost.

Just as Jesus’ true self was revealed on the mountain, our true selves are to be revealed in the world. As I was thinking about this, I thought of the song, “Child of God”: “If anybody asks you who I am, who I am, who I am; if anybody asks you who I am, tell him I’m a child of God.” I also thought of Philippians 4:5: “Your kindness should be known to all.” There is also 1 Peter 3:15: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you a reason for your hope.” There is another old song: “and they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love; yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” And again, there is this refrain: “If anybody asks you, where I am going, where I am going, soon. I’m goin’ up yonder…I’m goin’ up yonder to be with my Lord.”

We are called to live our lives in such a way that reveals that we do believe that we are indeed children of God; that, in following Jesus, we are willing to show kindness to everyone, and demonstrate our love for each other and for the world, in working for justice and peace. We are to live as people of hope, helping now to building up the kingdom, and looking forward to being with our Lord in heaven.

To be true to who we are, we need God’s grace. We need to be open to God transfiguring us, to be “the change we want to see.”

May our lives be a revelation of God’s love in Jesus Christ. May we do our part in helping “transfigure” our world into the place God created it to be.

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