Claire Smith

Scripture:

Baruch 5:1-9
Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11
Luke 3:1-6

Reflection:

Let Us Be Herald’s of Good News

Lady Jerusalem is mourning. Her children have died in war and been carried away in servitude, there is chaos, oppression, and God has not saved them. Where is our God?

Isaias watches this mother who mourns, climb to a high point of the temple. She  looks to the horizon where her children disappeared. Then she takes off her black mourning robes, puts on her dress that speaks of God’s justice and adorns her hair with a display of glory. She witnesses that God will bring back those to whom God is bound by a covenant of love. The divine gift of joy settles over her as rebuilding life from the ruins begins. Mercy and justice are the companions who return with her children.

A 2007 movie, “The Visitor” tells the way grace breaks into the worn out life of a recently widowed college professor. With neither hope nor meaning he returns to his New York apartment that he had not visited for several months only to find that an unknown couple had moved in and were living there. They were scammed. They pack and immediately prepare to leave. Unlike himself, they are young, one a musician, the other a humble woman with an artistic eye who makes simple jewelry that she sells on the street. He is from Syria, she from Senegal. The professor does not let them get far, but calls them back until they can find a room. An unlikely, tentative friendship begins, and this over the hill professor is taught to play African drums. The story becomes one about justice, alienation and relationships. Through compassion and dialogue barriers are overcome and a life giving friendships are created. A mistaken arrest ends in a deportation, his girlfriend’s love leads her to follow him out of the country, and Walter finds his place and his joy with a group in Central Park who play very good drum music!

The joy and the hopes, the grief and anxieties of the men and women of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted – these are the joy and hopes, the grief and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. So begins the Pastoral Constitution of the Church.

It is good that we can put out Christmas lights in the dark nights of Advent. Advent candles in our homes or churches are good symbols, but all of those colored lights on trees, doorways and roofs, lining the streets, are festive! They shine in Advent’s darkness reminding us that a weary people is out there, inching their way along, stumbling and falling. They long for the peace of Jerusalem, the hope of the New Jerusalem, like scattered sheep and strays they want a shepherd, they are the anxious, the worrywarts, those with not quite enough, the sick, the down trodden and the neglected.

May grace invite us to be heralds of Good News, crying out that graciousness of heart and spirit makes straight roads and eases the burdens of tired people. We can smooth out places that are impassable because of fear and prejudice and intolerance. In barren places and wastelands we can bring life. See highways leading to our Lord that appear where paths were first cut by the humble steps of someone toward reconciliation.

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

Scripture:

Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Luke 1:26-38

Reflection:

The story of Adam and Eve has fascinated us throughout the entire Christian era. It is a symbolic and foundational story – and it is one shared not only by the Jewish and Christian faiths but also by Islam (in a slightly amended form).

So why is the story of Adam and Eve featured on this Feast day where we honour Mary?

Often we only focus on Adam and Eve’s free will decision – one that leads them to disobey God – and we then contrast this with Mary’s free will decision to say ‘yes’ to God. And this is a valid reflection.

But perhaps today we might look at Adam and Eve and see that their story, at its deepest level, highlights the fact that God has been the creative force behind human evolution and has loved humanity from its very origins. More so it gives us a reference point and contrast through which we might see that the ‘new moment’ of creation – when the Word became flesh – is truly a new step in our evolution in that through Jesus we find our way to the Father and to sharing life to the full with God.

As Paul writes, God “chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him…In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ”

In this sense evolution, and human life itself, had been leading to the point where Mary is born and is then destined to be chosen to be the ‘Christ-bearer’. Mary is destined to become fundamentally instrumental in the coming of Jesus Christ into our world. This Feast day highlights that from her conception she is ‘immaculate’ or ‘free from sin’. That is, from her earliest moments Mary is seen to be as one full of grace and as one who does not surrender to anything that would lead her away from faith in, and loyalty to, God.

Thus today we celebrate Mary’s role in our salvation, but we do so in a special way that leads us to focus on her very beginnings and we draw inspiration from her gift to us.

The Second Vatican Council echoed the words of St. Ambrose and taught that Mary as the Mother of Jesus, was therefore a ‘type’ of the Church in the order of faith, charity, and perfect union with Christ.

In this sense let us imitate Mary. She is the first of the disciples and the model for our following of Jesus. Mary is for us a perfect example of how to live a life of faith, how to be charitable in all our dealings and how to seek union with Jesus in all we do.

With Mary let our daily cry be, “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

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

Scripture:

Isaiah 29:17-24
Matthew 9:27-31

Reflection:

These long cold Midwest winter nights can get to me. I find myself inside more often, doing the same old things day after day and seemingly going nowhere. One good thing though is I have more time to read. I read today’s scripture selection from Isaiah. He tells of a day when the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lowly will find joy and the poor will rejoice. Yeah! Right. For sure, he didn’t have the nightly news to watch in his day.

I long for the day when all will be right! I’m tired of mine as well as others limitations, and just wish we’d all get our acts together, taking care of one another, and living lives worthy of what I believe to be our calling—to be one with the God of love, kind of like Isaiah predicts will happen.

My first reaction when I read the passage in Isaiah today is to identify the tyrants and those who do evil amongst us, and of course I think I’m better than that. On second thought though, I realize I more often than I wish to admit, lord it over anyone who doesn’t think or act like me. I do wrong. I don’t like to call it evil—I call it making a mistake. I more often than I wish “…leave the just man with an empty claim.” figuring that’s someone else’s job.

Isaiah gives me hope though: “…Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of…Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find fault shall receive instruction.” Someday, I won’t be ashamed, I will acquire understanding and I will receive instruction. Wow! There’s hope, but where? Maybe, just maybe Frank Sinatra had it right when he wrote in his song High Hopes: “Oops there goes another problem kerplop!”

Once there was a silly old ram
Thought he’d punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram, scram
He kept buttin’ that dam.

Maybe if I just keep buttin along, doing what little I can, giving the beggar on the street a buck when they ask, singing a song when I want to cry and washing the dishes when they are dirty. God help me see how I have to change today to help bring about your kingdom.

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

 

Scripture:

Isaiah 26:1-6
Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Reflection:

Jesus doesn’t want us to deceive ourselves, missing how serious are the challenges of following him and the rewards that accompany our life with him.

Yet, I often find it difficult to fully my Christian life amid the layers of American society’s norms, ideals and standards for “success.” We are saturated with advertising, political propaganda, false assumptions of what gives us security and happiness.

Sorting all these messages and measuring them against the Sermon on the Mount is what Jesus is asking us to do in this passage from Matthew’ Gospel. It comes at the end of the challenging Sermon, when Jesus lays out God’s will for us.

Matthew makes a dig at the ruling Jewish class in two verses omitted at the end of this chapter: “And it happened that when Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching. For he was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”

Implied is that the scribes…the intellectual, religious and political elites…are the ones attempting closeness to God by saying, “Lord, lord!” and following specific legal prescriptions to guarantee sanctity. Their ways are not The Way, just like American status seeking, consumerism, exploitation of the environment, militarism and economic disparity are not God’s Way.

Jesus’ words are radically demanding. They must penetrate to our bones and transform us. They insure we will be different from the crowd. They insure we will suffer. But they also insure we will experience deep peace and radiant joy.

Will I take a chance on Jesus?

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:

Isaiah 25:6-10a
Matthew 15:29-37

Reflection:

The university across the street from us has a course entitled, “Ultimate Questions”  on a couple of  conversations I have had with the students we mentioned the difficulties of life.  For many of us trying to juggle everything and hold it all together is exhausting.  Why does life have to be so hard?  That is one of those ultimate questions.  Biblically, one explanation goes clear back to the Adam and Eve story of the fall.  I’m left thinking about that as I ponder the gospel of today.  Some of those brought to Jesus have been beaten up by life.  Others have never fit in.  While still others are broken, deformed and hurt.  Why does life have to be so hard?   And Jesus cures them.  Yet that wasn’t enough.   Even after restoring so much brokenness to wholeness, Jesus still has more compassion for the people.  In witnessing the hunger of those right in front of him he reaches out, holding the scarcity of a few fish and seven loaves in his hands he fills what is lacking with the abundance of compassion and thus it’s not such a hard day after all.

Then did you hear what Isaiah spoke to us in the first reading?  He helps us recognize the presence of God through the description of delightful banquet feasts.  The Lord GOD is the one who wipes away the tears from all our faces.  When we see this happening, God’s compassion is present.  Our worries are wiped away, and we rejoice in God’s blessedness.  On that day, it doesn’t seem like life is so difficult.

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving our parish’s food bank was opened for its monthly visitors.  One of our visitors had her basket filled with canned goods, vegetables, milk, sweet potatoes, meat, and a turkey.  She was in tears as she came to the end of the line.  A huge burden had been lifted.   “I lost my job two days ago.  Now look,” she exclaimed pointing to her basket.  “My babies and I are actually going to have Thanksgiving!”

On that day it will be said: “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
Let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Isaiah 2:1-5
Matthew 8:5-11

Reflection:

“In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it… One nation shall not raise the sword against another.” Isaiah 2:1,5

I love to imagine people of all races and ages streaming toward heaven. It will be so exciting! No more tears, no more wars, no more prejudice. It’s mind-boggling really to imagine meeting so many people from all time and places. And to finally experience perfect PEACE! We so long for peace in our war-torn world. All injustice will be over, all fighting, all hatred. All put to rest. Praise God!!!

So how can we enjoy a foretaste of paradise here and now?

The third luminous mystery is “The Proclamation of the Kingdom.” The Kingdom of God is at hand! We can begin to experience a tiny taste of heaven even here on earth as we seek to love God and love our neighbor. When we reach out in love sharing what we have with those who have less; when we pray for the areas in the world that don’t have peace; when we intentionally give up something and then use the money we would have spent to bless someone else. Of course the ways are endless!

Let’s be the people that long to see God’s face and in the meantime, let’s look for Him in the people around us and share his love and compassion and mercy with everyone we meet today and every day.

“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.’” Mother Teresa

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].

First Sunday of Advent

Scripture:

Jeremiah 33:14-16
1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Reflection:

For me, a challenge I face as a homilist is the First Sunday of Advent. That’s because the Gospel reading for the beginning of the Advent season is very much like the Gospel reading for the week before for the Feast of Christ the King. Both Gospel readings have Jesus speaking about the end times, and so it can be challenging to say something different about the same sort of words. But the reason we have Jesus speaking about the end times on a day when we begin as a church to get ready for the celebration of Christmas is that the season of Advent is also about reminding us to be vigilant for when Jesus comes again.

Even though in our Gospel reading for Sunday (Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36), Jesus speaks about the end times, He is not so much talking about fear as about anticipation and readiness. Yes, He does say: “People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” But He also says: “But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” If we are doing what we’ve been called to do, we have nothing to fear when Jesus comes again. We will have been getting ready for His coming our whole lives.

And so Jesus says later on: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

I wonder if that day “will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth” because it means a big change in how we relate to each other, and very often, a big change does seem to “assault” us. And I also wonder whether having the “strength to escape the tribulations” means being able to avoid them. I think that what Jesus is saying is that we pray for the strength not to avoid the tribulations (That would mean resorting to “carousing and drunkenness.”), but to not let “anxiety” about them weigh us down. When we can trust in the power and love of God, we can face and get through the tribulations that occur and get to joy and peace.

I was trying to think of examples of this. One that is basic to human existence is childbirth. You mothers who are reading this can speak much more accurately and eloquently about this than I. Other examples are the advances to justice we have seen, such as women’s suffrage, civil rights, the end of apartheid, etc. I say “advances” because we know there is so much more work to be done.

So how can we practice the vigilance Jesus talks about? We can continue to work for justice and peace. We need not fall in line with the divisions and hatreds and fears which seem to have such a hold on our political and social life. We can witness to something different.

Another way that came to me concerns the Eucharist. As I was reflecting on this, I thought of Cardinal Mahoney’s pastoral letter on the Eucharist: “Gather Faithfully Together.” In that letter, Cardinal Mahoney wrote about “The Entrance to the Assembly”: “In houses and apartments all through the neighborhood, the true entrance procession of this Mass has been in full swing, sometimes calm, sometimes hectic. Sunday clothes are being put on…Some households make a conscious effort to keep the morning quiet…”

“When we think about preparing for liturgy, we usually think of the ministers…But the liturgy is the work of the whole assembly…Many have prepared themselves to come together today and participate fully in this Eucharist.”

“So this is the entrance procession, coming from all directions, made up of all ages, several races, a variety of economic circumstances and political outlooks – and speaking at least three first languages! But they are all in a great procession, the Church assembling in the house of the Church.”

The Church comes in procession to encounter Christ in a special way at Mass. As Cardinal Mahoney describes it, a lot of preparation has been made. Is not Advent like that? Preparing ourselves to encounter Jesus when He comes again? To encounter Him as the baby in the manger? Perhaps a way to practice vigilance is to pay attention to how we get ready for Mass.

May we get ready to welcome Jesus this Advent.

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan. 

Scripture:

Revelation 22:1-7
Luke 21:34-36

Reflection:

Part of the beauty and power of the Bible comes from its vivid language and symbols.  That is the case for the readings assigned for today, the final day of the “ordinary” liturgical season as we stand on the brink of Advent.

The first reading is from the Book of Revelation (22:1-7), a biblical book that is full of vivid imagery and sometimes mystifying symbols.  The entire book is cast as a vision experienced by John the Seer who is in exile on the Island of Patmos and writes to Christian communities in western Asia Minor (present day Turkey) to challenge and encourage them in a time of severe persecution by the Roman Empire.

In the reading for today, the author is in an encouraging mode—portraying for his fellow Christians a future of vitality and beauty that God has in store for them. The author borrows a famous metaphor from chapter 47 of the prophet Ezekiel (also noted for his wild imagery!) who has a dream about water flowing out of the Jerusalem temple and running down into the parched lands of the Judean wilderness, creating a river of life with fruit trees on its banks and fish in its waters, ultimately causing the desert to bloom.  The author of Revelation creates a similar vision—now the “river of life-giving water” flows from the very “throne of God and of the Lamb (a term Revelation uses for Jesus).  As in Ezekiel’s dream sequence, fruit trees grow, and their leaves provide medicine.  A brand-new world springs up—where there is no more night and “the Lord God shall give them light.”

The message is clear: despite the trials and sufferings of the present, God will not abandon his people and life will triumph over death.  That same message is picked up in the Responsorial Psalm 95 which uses the pervasive biblical metaphor of the shepherd and the sheep to encourage us, “Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us.  For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.”

The gospel selection from Luke (21:34-36) cites the words of Jesus to his disciples where another memorable metaphor is used.  As the time of his own passion draws near, Jesus warns his disciples “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of life.”  “Drowsy hearts”—what an interesting image.  Later in this same passage, Jesus urges his disciples “to stay awake”—to be “vigilant” and not to be caught off guard.

We can become “drowsy” or fail to be truly alive and alert either because we allow superficial things to consume our time and attention–in Jesus’ words, “carousing and drunkenness.”  Maybe most of us are more likely to be immersed in our phones or entertainment or buying sprees.  The other cause for drowsiness Jesus cites is “anxiety”—letting fear take over our hearts and dampen our spirit.

Taken together, the readings for today ask us to sink deeper into our life of faith—to rediscover a sense of God’s intense and tender love for us—to remember that God will be with us no matter what.  Thereby we can put aside fear and live with a sense of hope and freedom.  This is timely invitation as the season of Advent begins.

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.