Claire Smith

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 5:1-8
Luke 6:6-11

Reflection:

Paul and Jesus both teach that actions have consequences, and our conduct makes a difference beyond ourselves. Paul, for instance, disparages those in Corinth who boast of their sexual immorality. He urges them to throw out that “old yeast” before it spreads throughout the dough, and start anew by living in a way that creates the leaven of justice and truth instead.

An illustration: In early grade school, I walked home with a classmate. She wanted a lollipop, so we stopped in the corner store. At the display, she took one, put it back, then took another and put it back. Then she took one and snuck it into her backpack, before taking another and putting it back. I was aghast. She told me to do the same thing, saying it was easy and the store would never miss it. When I hesitated, she hissed at me, “What are you waiting for? They’ll get suspicious if we stand here too long. TAKE ONE!” I did.

I no longer remember who discovered the deed and told my parents, but I will always remember that they marched me down to the store to apologize to the store owner and pay twice what the lollipop was worth. When we got home, I also had to apologize to my younger siblings for whom I had set such a horrible example. In other words, my wrong actions were not just about me; they had negative effect on my town and my family. Our private and public actions matter.

Yet even in light of this principle, Scripture tells us that strictly following the letter of the law may not always be appropriate or truly Christian. Illustration: The powerful legal enforcers of Jesus’ day closely watched to see whether he would break the law by healing a man on the Sabbath. Instead of citing the law and obeying without question, Jesus turned the entire discussion on its head, asking whether it was more lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil. The answer being obvious, he healed the man. Yet his act of justice and truth, his absolute commitment to the mercy behind the law and to the over-riding law of love from which all other laws should flow, created rage in the authorities, who began plotting how to get rid of him. They could only deal with exact legal definitions, not pastoral considerations.

How do we know when we are called to strictly follow laws and when laws need to be bent or broken in the name of a greater good? Ah, there’s the rub. And people of good will can disagree on the answers. For instance, it was wrong to steal that lollipop, but would it be the same if my family was starving and I hid some much-needed food in my backpack? What is the appropriate Christian response to someone whose children are in immediate danger of being kidnapped, raped, or killed by violent gangs, who have neither the resources nor the time to go through legal visa channels and in desperation crosses illegally into another country in hopes of saving the family? Obviously, that family broke the law. Should they be treated in the same way as other criminals? Is there an overriding law of justice that needs to be applied? If Jesus were here today, how would he react to that family?

Another debated issue: It is the 50^th anniversary of Humana Vitae and the Catholic Church’s ban on contraception. Yet the majority of Catholics find that law to be untenable. They highlight their need to responsibly control the size of their family, and faithful couples report that, for a variety of reasons, using only natural family planning is not possible or effective in their cases. Is it lawful for the Church to support a marriage involving artificial contraception that allows a couple to feed and clothe their children in a stable context, or is it only lawful to strictly follow the rule regardless?

The overall message from scripture is that the laws of our society and the laws of our Church were created to bring order, harmony, and justice. Yet in the name of “following the law”, those same rules are sometimes enforced in their strictest form with no accommodation for mercy or true justice. When we act legalistically and without mercy or compassion, the yeast of our actions spreads through our community and world.  Pope Francis is constantly reminding us that Jesus’ call is to pastoral accommodation of the law. He urges us to “smell like the sheep”, to find out what people’s lives are truly like, and to respond with love, compassion, and Christ-like justice.

I don’t pretend to know the answers to all the questions of law and justice vs. mercy and compassion in our society. But I do believe that as Christians we must err on the side of mercy and compassion. That is what Jesus calls us to. That is what Pope Francis has instructed. Let’s commit to having those conversations, and opening the door to the overriding leaven of love.

Amy Florian is a teacher and consultant working in Chicago.  For many years she has partnered with the Passionists.  Visit Amy’s website: http://www.corgenius.com/.

Scripture:

Isaiah 35:4-7a
James 2:1-5
Mark 7:31-37

Reflection:

Secrets to be Shared

Today is National Grandparents Day. At the Rio World Youth Day, Pope Francis spoke of Saints Joachim and Ann, according to tradition the grand-parents of Jesus, and parents of Mary. Pope Francis described them as ‘part of the chain of people who transmitted their faith and love of God, expressed in the love of family life, down to Mary who received the Son of God into her womb and gave him to the world and to us.’

Grandparents are important for our intergenerational exchange in families. All of us, elders or youngsters, have a vision of life, and each of our visions enrich our shared journeys. Too often in the weddings I celebrate, due to illness or death,  the grandparents of the bride and groom cannot be present. It is sad they are missing. But blessed are the celebrations, every celebration, that can include grandparents!

We can say that grandparents are a ‘secret or hidden force’, in the sense that what they bring as grandparents may be taken for granted, or is inaccessible due to the separation that distance imposes or hectic life styles keep apart. Today’s gospel, while not about grandparents, can remind us of the power of things hidden, that some secrets have to be proclaimed and shared.

The geography of Mark’s gospel is like following a confused GPS. Jesus crosses the lake and seems to be making a journey that circles the the southern Phoenician (Gentile) territory. Before returning to Galilee and leaving the Gentiles he will multiply the loaves and fish as he did also on the Jewish side of the lake. Today’s miracle like its companion (the healing of the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician mother), shows the Spirit that filled Jesus when he began his ministry. The prophecy of Isaiah read in the synagogue in Capernaum comes to life, ‘Blind eyes will be opened deaf ears will hear, those who cannot speak will sing. Springs will burst forth in the desert’.  . Among the Gentiles who cannot hear God’s word and whose praise of God may come out distorted, springs of water are appearing! God is with us who have little hope; God is our savior. He sets captives free.

Mark has his secret! Jesus tells the crowd to say nothing, but all the more they proclaim, “He has done all things well! He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak”.

How could Jesus leave the Gentiles without the gratitude of the Syro-Phoenician woman or the joy of the excited crowd and the man who has been healed? The Gentiles no less than the Jews, see the secret. Jesus is restoring a fallen creation. They need to echo the words of Genesis, “God saw everything that he had done, and it was exceedingly good” (Genesis 1:31). Often secrets leak out, someone steals the thunder, and then we have to act surprised. That’s life. We try to respond with respectful awe at the centurion who tells us at the correct moment that the man Jesus was truly the Son of God at the secret telling moment. But some secrets can’t wait, they need to be celebrated. Like grandparents, potentially secretive agents in our families, we need to be proclaimers of the secret in our intergenerational, inter-everything fragile world. Leak Mark’s secret. In a thirsty, at times deaf and stubbornly silent world, there is water of refreshment, there is something to proclaim.

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Luke 5:33-39

Reflection:

I have never been tempted to put new wine in old wineskins, in fact I don’t even know what a wineskin is. I guess I could look it up on Google, but then I wonder why would I, when today’s Gospel selection tells me I shouldn’t put my wine in them anyway.

I think I do understand the Scribes and Pharisees challenge to Jesus in today’s gospel selection:

“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink.” (LK 5:33)

For twenty years, I taught 10 to 15 years old boys who were often described as incorrigible.  If I told my students to open up a book, they would stare out the window. If I wanted to send them to the office, I could be sure that they would never make it there by themselves; I needed to send them with an escort.

Since my third year high school religion class, taught by Fr. Gerard, C.P., I’ve heard that if I want to follow Jesus, I must be willing to face life—the joys as well as the crosses, be grateful for that gift of life, and now here’s the corker, be willing to give it up. I think the Scribes and Pharisees and the apostles for that matter, heard Jesus’ message and like my students and myself sometimes, responded with disbelief and the above challenge.

I pray today, that I will have the courage to take Jesus at his word and do what he teaches.

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:18-23
Luke 5:1-11

Reflection:

When I put myself in Simon’s place in the boat with Jesus, I understand his objections to the Lord’s suggestion he lower his fishing nets into the deep areas of Lake Gennesaret. Peter’s trade was fishing. He supported his family on the craft and knew where the fish likely swam in thick schools when the winds blew from different directions, what times of day or night were best for hauling in full nets and what seasons were ideal. And he knew this lake well.

Jesus had no such skill or knowledge. He was a dazzling preacher and teacher, and maybe a skilled carpenter, but not a fisherman. So why should Simon take his advice about fishing?

Sometimes I object to God’s suggestions and guidance. I think I know best, despite the promptings of the Holy Spirit to go in a different direction.

God’s ways are not my ways. Sometimes God is constantly asking me to go where I’d rather not, to change when it is uncomfortable and to take risks when I am very afraid.

In prayer I listen in quiet for the movements of the Spirit within to lead me, often to uncomfortable, risky places.

“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command we will lower the nets.” The result so astonished Simon and his buddies that they left everything, including their preconceived notions of how to live their lives, and followed him. This is what conversion is – a surrender of my entire being to God’s ways. Will I take the risk?

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Luke 4:38-44

Reflection:

To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.  Luke 4:43

Like many people, I often think it would be nice to know exactly what path God wants me to take in this life. Over the years I’ve discussed this with a number of friends and clergy. How do I discern exactly what it is God wants me to do? It is said St. Paul of the Cross discerned God’s will through prayer, speaking with others around him, and the circumstances he found himself in.

But Jesus speaks plainly of his task: “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.“ It’s interesting to note that the phrase “proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God” is only three words in the Greek. It’s basically the idea that God is here among us and has everything in hand. I sometimes wonder if that was the message of Jesus, if that was his only task. If so, why do I keep wondering what my task is? Wouldn’t my task be to live in the kingdom of God? To share with others God’s love? To be the risen Christ to everyone I meet?

I wonder if I don’t over-complicate things in my life. I want to have a grandiose plan for what I’m supposed to do. This gospel seems to tell me that I’m to live my life as I find it with the knowledge that God has everything in hand.

My prayer for today is that I can surrender my will to God and live in His kingdom as I find it.

Talib Huff is a volunteer and presenter at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, California.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 2:10b-16
Luke 4:31-37

Reflection:

“To See Thee More Clearly, Love Thee More Dearly…Day By Day”

A thought:  our birthdays are opportunities to reflect on the gift of life and how we have grown over the years; the aging process may be very evident, or we may be blessed with a youthful spirit that defies aging.  Our vision, hearing, muscle tone, energy levels…life changes!  And we are invited to be grateful as we move forward, finding new meaning each and every day.

St. Paul in today’s reading from his letter to the Corinthians helps us to make sense of our faith as it impacts every dimension of life:  “…we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God…”  His Corinthian listeners were a tough, no-nonsense group; he wrote to encourage their growth in knowledge and discipleship focused on Jesus Crucified.  The Corinthian world then was very similar to life today:  self-centered, given to carelessness and laziness, so secular that the sacred is brushed aside.  Paul encouraged them (and us) to “put on the mind of Christ”.

The Gospel selection recounts Jesus teaching on the Sabbath and healing a man with an “unclean demon” — to the amazement of those with Him in the synagogue who witnessed the miraculous healing.  They noted the “…authority and power He commands…” and spoke freely of Jesus to their neighbors.  Jesus helped the man regain God’s loving presence in his life, and opened the eyes and touched the hearts of all those who witnessed the miracle.

We are invited to see God’s love at work in our lives each day.  No doubt we live in challenging times — with serious and disheartening stories of violence, corruption, abuse, mismanagement, etc. in all dimensions of life.  Both Jesus and His faithful missionary St. Paul encourage us to dig deep in our faith, and rediscover God’s love miraculously at work in ourselves and our world — and then to faithfully witness God’s presence as we live our vocations.  Both a challenge – and an opportunity.

God is faithful and active!  God wants to remove us from our “unclean demons”!  May we see God more clearly and love God more dearly…day by day.

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Luke 4:16-30

Reflection:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.” Luke 4:18 (Gospel Acclamation Verse)

Each of us can be a witness for Jesus just by sharing what He has done for us. In my twenties I had a habit of arguing about our faith, especially when I felt that someone was criticizing the Catholic Church. I felt that I had to defend my beliefs and I would try really hard to help the other person come to my way of thinking.

All that changed after I began to experience the Lord working in my life. Instead of just knowing about God, I began to know the Lord as a person. I didn’t need to defend my faith anymore because I knew what was happening to me was real and no one could take that away from me. We share the Good News with confidence because we have experienced God’s love first-hand. We pray God will use our witness to help another open up to His Presence, or to go deeper in their faith walk.

In our gospel today we hear again how a prophet is not accepted in his own place; how sad that Jesus couldn’t work miracles among his own people. And yet, am I open to miracles? Do I miss Jesus working because I think I know how a thing will turn out? Do I limit His power in my life?

We can’t give someone the gift of faith, but we can pray for them to receive it and we can share what God is doing in our life with others. May we all invite the Holy Spirit to use us to spread the Good News whenever and wherever we can and to help us be open to God working miracles in our own lives.

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].