Claire Smith

Feast of the Epiphany

Scripture:

Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12

Reflection:

Where do I meet Jesus, the Christ?

How curious the Gospel writers include the lowest of the lowly…dirty, rag-clothed shepherds…as well as foreign upper crust magi to be the first to get it about the baby. Was the point to reveal the inclusive love of Jesus?

It is so easy for me to find a comfortable, isolated setting to live. Nice neighborhood, safe streets, surrounded by life’s best amenities. Real estate developers speak of EXCLUSIVE places to live as the most coveted. Away from the rift raft, the criminals, the drug dealers.

But that is not the Christian Way.

The teaching of Christ is inclusivity. Everyone welcome.

But more than welcoming, we are told that it is being with those our culture shames and devalues where we find the most valued of all: Jesus the Christ.

Hard to live this way in our world. I avoid the beggar on the street, looking the other way when one gets into my space. I’d rather the sanitized care for the poor: give a donation to St. Vincent DePaul Society or a homeless shelter.

Several years ago I read Robert Coles’ book on Dorothy Day. The renown Harvard psychiatrist recalled entering St. Joseph Catholic Worker store front in New Your City’s notorious Bowery neighborhood. He saw Dorothy for the first time sitting at a table with a man talking nonsense. She listened to his every incoherent word. When she looked up and recognized the famous doctor she asked “Which one of us would you like to speak with?” Coles commented that his first impression of the saintly woman was the message of equality. She did not presume he wished to meet her; the troubled street guest was no better than she.

Typical Dorothy Day. She saw the face of Christ in everyone…the important, the poor, the mentally twisted, the addict, the prostitute, the wealthy, the powerful and the weak.

Isn’t this is the meaning of Epiphany.

This feast, one of the grand ones in our faith tradition, prods me out of any cocoon I have created to insure nothing overwhelms or agitates me. My task, instead, is to embrace everyone, without discrimination. I am called to live this way in my family, my circle of friends, my neighborhood, parish and yes, in my entire world. It means, in Pope Francis’ words, to build bridges, not walls.

The message is, in fact, counter-cultural in today’s world. But the Gospel has always been counter-cultural. That’s why the One who preached it was crucified.

Jim Wayne is a board member of the Passionists Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office, state legislator, and author of The Unfinished Man. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

1 John 3:11-21
John 1:43-51

Reflection:

Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.  ~1 John 3:18

In our first reading today we have a selection from John’s first letter. In this scripture we have a clear teaching on how we might go forward into this young, new year with confidence.

In the reading, the author makes a strong case for a simple message: it’s all about love. If we have true love in our hearts for one another all will be well. But we must not carry this love as a hidden, secret thing. We are called to live out this love in our lives. This love is to be expressed and experienced constantly. And if we somehow falter, we need only to turn back to the love the Christ shows to us. This will help us rekindle the flame that may burn low in the trials of daily life.

So how do we show this love? There thousands of different moments (86,400 seconds, to be exact) throughout the day where we can pause in our own agendas and give someone else our time or attention. To those close to us it may be as simple as doing a chore that is on another’s to do list. Or bringing them an unasked-for cup of tea.

But what of the dozens of people I encounter as I go through my life that I will never see again? Can I slow down enough to acknowledge them, to truly thank them for their help? Can I share a little bit of who I am with them and inquire and listen to who they are?

Opening ourselves up to another and sharing our presence can be a great kindness in this busy world. It can remind us that we are all on this journey together. Slowing down and giving of themselves is the gift that both the shepherds and the Magi gave.

I pray that as I continue through this Christmas season I take the time to show love to my sisters and brothers by my true presence.

Talib Huff is a lay member of the retreat team at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights. He may be reached at [email protected].

Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Scripture:

1 John 3:7-10
John 1:35-42

Reflection:

“…Come and see…”

Today’s Christmas Season Gospel selection from St. John’s Gospel features John the Baptist and two of his disciples meeting Jesus as He walked by.  This roadside encounter led to Jesus’ invitation to “come and see” where he was staying – and ultimately, to discipleship for both Andrew and his brother Simon Peter.  Jesus’ opening question to the two set the scene:  “What are you looking for?”

That invitation of Jesus to “come and see” has likewise touched the hearts of countless men and women over the centuries.  Today we celebrate the life of an 18^th Century American woman, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton…the first American-born saint.

Born in New York City in 1774, Elizabeth Ann was raised as an Episcopalian.  At age 20, she married William Seton and helped raise their five children.  She was drawn to the Catholic faith by an Italian Catholic family whom she met while traveling in Italy with her husband.  After her husband’s tragic death at age 30 from tuberculosis, Elizabeth Ann freely embraced the Catholic faith, followed by severe anti-Catholic prejudice from her extended family – and the grace of perseverance to live her Catholic faith and even open a parish school in Baltimore to support her family while witnessing her faith.

Elizabeth Ann’s fervor attracted a group of young women to join her in the ministry of Catholic education.  In 1809 they formed the American Sisters of Charity, following the rule of St. Vincent de Paul; later they help found other schools and orphanages.  By the time of her death on January 4, 1821, the community had expanded their valued ministries as far west as St. Louis.

Called by God to help serve the Church in her day, Elizabeth Ann Seton responded to Jesus’ invitation to join in his mission of building the Church and serving its many needs.  In her own way, she said “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to “come and see”.

The same words “Come and see…” invite us to discipleship in this new year 2019.  Our St. Paul of the Cross heard those same words; we continue to thank God for his birthday in 1694 which we celebrated yesterday.  With the intercession of both St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Paul of the Cross, may we deepen our resolve as Jesus’ disciples in 2019…and may we encourage others to heed Jesus’ invitation to “come and see” as members of the Passionist Family.  As proclaimed in today’s response psalm:  God has done wondrous deeds!

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

Scripture:

1 John 2:29-3:6
John 1:29-34

Reflection:

“The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted Him He gave power to become the children of God.” ~John 1:14a, 12a

This is such good news to me! We don’t have to try to earn the right to be God’s children. We can’t earn it, we just have to accept our place as his beloved son or daughter and then spend our lives getting to know Him and becoming more and more like Him… loving, forgiving, helping, caring, and then sharing that same Good News.

My heart is singing as we continue to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas up to Epiphany. I am overwhelmed with God’s love for me and for the whole world as I ponder our infinite God humbling Himself to take on our own finite human form. In a recent homily the priest described the Incarnation as putting all of the oceans of the world into a tiny cup. I love that image!

This HUGE amazing God squeezed Himself into a tiny seed which the Holy Spirit implanted in Mary’s womb and then he grew and was born and grew some more and became the Lord who walked the earth to love all people and show us the way home. After his ascension into heaven, he sent His Spirit to us so that we could have an intimate relationship with Him and to give us the grace we need to grow in virtue and holiness.

He is inviting us each day to receive Him in Holy Communion. If that’s not possible, He invites us to spend time with Him whenever and however we can so that we know we are each unrepeatable and important to him and loved and honored. Take the time, make the time, cherish the time. Let Him love you!

I pray that 2019 will be a joyous, blessed New Year for each of us!

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:

1 John 2:22-28
John 1:19-28

Reflection:

At our deepest levels most people are searching for belonging, meaning and authenticity.

These three words, at least for me, go a long way towards summing up the human journey in life (and especially the journey into self). Of course we who are Christian add our own interpretation to the understanding of these three words, but I do believe that even at a basic, secular level they stand as valid.

People seek to belong. We know this search in the deepest recesses of our hearts. Human beings are meant for each other, we are social and relational in our very nature and we experience an innate drive to seek out companionship and partnership as we journey through life. Love drives us in this direction – we thrill to be the centre of someone else’s loving attention, and in turn we seek to go out of ourselves and to give ourselves to another or to give ourselves in loving service to others.

People seek meaning in their lives. We want to know and understand what is happening to us and how we are affecting others. Again this is deep within us, we are the one part of creation that is always searching for answers. From childhood on we ask ‘why?’-perhaps, verbally and repetitiously in our younger years, and within our thoughts and quieter recesses as we get older. But we still ask! Suffering especially disturbs us and we seek to know ‘why this happened’ and so in times of travail this question above all others, haunts us. And in the best of times we still want to feel deep within that we are ‘making a difference’ through our lives.

People seek authenticity. We want to be true to ourselves and others and we have a deep desire to be genuine. We live at times without reflecting on this reality, yet we know its centrality in our lives more painfully in those times when it is absent – we don’t want others to be ‘two-faced’ nor do we want to be like that ourselves; rather we want to be consistent in our approach to people and we want to align ourselves with values that are true and deep. We gravitate too towards people who we find authentic.

John the Baptist focuses us on these same three dynamics in today’s reading. He responds to his somewhat suspicious and reprimanding enquirers that his ministry is not a self-oriented one, but rather one that reflects the fact that in relationship to Jesus (his cousin); he has found his ‘centre’. John answers one of life’s most puzzling and consistent questions – ‘Who are you?’ – with a clear sense of himself and of the place where he ‘stands. He has found a strong sense of belonging, of meaning and a way of being authentic in his following of Jesus.

‘Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you’, says John the Evangelist in today’s first reading. John the Baptist had died before these words were ever written, but it is evident that they already had resonated within him anyway.

Thus John’s steadfastness is an attitude and a direction we could well imitate and adopt as our own as this New Year unfolds before us.

Let us stay on the path that we walk with Jesus in life and continue to make our relationship with him our place of belonging – our ‘centre’. His is the ‘way’ that gives meaning to life and gives us hope in all life’s struggles. His mission in this world is one that brings life to all and opens for us a means to live authentic lives.

Put another way, Jesus is for us the Way, the Truth and the Life.  In him we can find a way to belong, a way to find meaning and a way to live an authentic life.

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

Scripture:

Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:16-21

Reflection:

Several celebrations crowd in on this day.  It is New Year’s Day 2019.  It is the octave of Christmas.  It is the beautiful feast celebrating Mary as the Mother of God.  (It is also my birthday but I am not sure this fact ranks with these other markers!).

The celebration of Mary as the “Mother of God” is an ancient tribute to the virgin of Nazareth.  Even though this feast day was established on this day in modern times , the title itself goes back to one of the earliest Councils of the Church at Ephesus in 431 AD that declared as an article of Christian doctrine that Mary is the theotokos, literally, the “God bearer.”  At issue was the question whether or not Jesus was truly human.  His divinity was not in question but there were Christians who could not believe that Jesus was also truly human.  Declaring that Mary was truly the mother of Jesus and the “theotokos” affirmed what is the central core of Christian faith, the mystery of the Incarnation – “the Eternal Word of God becomes flesh.”

The Church has been celebrating this astounding assertion of faith all during these days of the Christmas season.  And on the Octave of Christmas, we affirm it again.  But there is a wider backdrop to all of this, namely the fact that all is grace, all is gift.  Neither Mary in all her beauty and goodness, or Joseph, the faithful and obedient hero of the infancy story, nor anyone before or since, earned the gift of God’s unconditional love for us that is manifested so incredibly in the reality of Christmas.  God becomes one with us to save us through God’s unconditional love.

I came across a remarkable reflection on “grace” or “unconditional gift” in what might be considered an unexpected source—a column by a political writer in the New York Times for December 23, entitled, “The Uncommon Power of Grace.”  Most of the time, the author, Peter Wehner, comments on our political scene from a rather conservative point of view.  But he also occasionally reflects on the deeper meaning of our life and times from the vantage point of his devout Evangelical faith.

That is the case here.  Quoting the famed spiritual writer, C. S. Lewis, Wehner affirms that the notion of unconditional grace is unique to Christian faith, a belief that goes against every instinct of humanity which is programmed to cause and effect, to earning what we receive, to exchange and barter.  The affirmation of Christian faith is that God’s love is unconditional and unmerited.  As Wehner notes, “There’s a radical equality at the core of grace.  None of us are deserving of God’s grace, so it’s not dependent on social status, wealth or intelligence.  There is equality between kings and peasants, the prominent and the unheralded, rule followers and rule breakers.”

The column goes on to conclude that those who are touched by grace and aware of living completely as a gift of God, are prone to be gracious themselves.  People who love us “despite our messy lives, stay connected to us through our struggles, always holding out the hope of redemption.”

The astounding and “uncommon power” of grace is what we celebrate in the feast of Christmas and what, today, we celebrate in lifting up the figure of Mary, the “God-bearer.”  In her very being, in her own body, the mother of Jesus proclaims that God’s love, God’s grace, is unconditional and eternal.

Fr. Donald Senior, C.P. is President Emeritus and Professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological Union.  He lives at the Passionist residence in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Scripture:

1 John 2:18-21
John 1:1-18

Reflection:

Do you remember Christmas?  I know… seems so very long ago.  Even more shocking, do you remember Advent?   So much has happened since we first heard the cry of the Prophet, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”

And now, here we stand on the cliff of the end of 2018.  The New Year is viewed by most as the impetus to take an eraser to their past and resolve to be better people: to repair broken relationships, to restore themselves emotionally, to refresh themselves spiritually, to rebuild themselves physically… an opportunity to just get it right.

Let me tell you about something interesting I notice pretty often. Actually, I hear it at just about every single funeral at which I minister or attend. If I were a betting man, I’d bet you’ve also heard it. Shoot… you’ve probably said it. I have.

 “Tell people you love them while they can still hear it.”

It’s a universal thing when people grieve, I think, that they want to help others not make the same mistakes they made and so offer suggestions like that one. Well meaning, and I think it’s beautiful, and absolutely we must do it. We must. And then I get sidetracked and time passes and I don’t do it at all.  You too?  We’re human, I guess, but God continues to give us opportunities to try again… to get it right.

In meditating on this thought, I was struck with the realization that we just came from such a time.  We Catholics should have been yelling “Happy New Year” on the First Sunday of Advent.  No, I’m not crazy (no comments!!!) … with Advent starting just 5 short weeks ago, we began a new Liturgical Year (Cycle C), with the call to “Prepare, ye, the way.”

Prepare.  Did we prepare?  Are you like me in the feeling of regret over all I didn’t get to in Advent… in 2018?

If you’re at all like me, you were probably more concerned about the preparations for Christmas. Gifts, cards, decorations, food, parties, planning… Advent calls us to get ready, that’s for sure. But not gifts or food or parties.  I’m wondering now if my spirit was ready for Christmas.  I wonder if I made the room in the inn of my heart for Jesus to be born.

Emmanuel.  God, with us. As it says in today’s Gospel, “The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.”

I think I may have missed the Advent opportunity to sweep out the junk from my life so to make room for a new Bethlehem in my heart. Maybe you also feel the same sense of “whoops” that I do.

But there is good news – 2019 starts tomorrow.  We have the chance to create our resolutions anew with a focus on what’s really important. And that’s not all – God gifts us with endless opportunities to come home.  To get it right.  To throw ourselves on the inexhaustible love and mercy of our creator.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation, the daily Eucharist, Lent, Advent… every single breath… all points in time to put a step in a better direction.

To “testify to the true light” by the way we live our lives.

So, friends, what’s your first step?

Dear God of New Year’s, thank you for the gift of fresh beginnings. Grant us the grace of a broom with which we can sweep away all that keeps us from recognizing and welcoming you into our hearts and lives. And please, help us all never break our resolution to be closer to you. Amen.

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

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Scripture:

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Colossians 3:12-21
Luke 2:41-52

Reflection:

In the Catholic Church we have this beautiful sacrament called Reconciliation.  People come to a priest to confess what they have done wrong.  I have a suggestion.  Why not have something like an eighth sacrament where a person comes and tells the priest all the things they have done right.

Conscience tells us two things — what’s right and what’s wrong.  If we confess the times we have done something wrong, why not confess, acknowledge, the times we have done something right.  I am sure there are many times when we have followed St Paul’s advice today and showed “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.”  And if we are doing all this, why not acknowledge it in some way?  Give ourselves praise.  “Hey, self, you did a lot of good today.  Keep up the good work.”

What comes after praising ourselves?  For people of faith, gratitude follows.  We know the truth of what St. Paul said to the Corinthians, “What have you that you have not received” (1 Corinthians 4:7).  In acknowledging our good deeds, we acknowledge the author of all good.

When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth detected Mary’s good qualities.  And Elizabeth praised Mary. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42).  What was Mary’s response?  Gratitude.  “My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit gives thanks to God my savior.” (Luke 1:46)  Mary had many talents, abilities, and great depth of soul.  And she knew where it all came from.  So she gave thanks.   We can give ourselves praise, as long as we thank God for it all.  “He who is mighty has done great things to me, and holy is his name” (Luke 1:49).

St. Paul tells us today, “Sing gratefully to God from your hearts in psalms, hymns and inspired songs” (Colossians  3:16).  That’s what Mary did. Come on, let’s follow her.

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