Claire Smith

Scripture:

Jude 17, 20B-25
Mark 11, 27-33

Reflection:

Both of today’s readings challenge us to live our Christian belief and way of life in the face of opposition and unbelief.

Of course, religious opposition and unbelief have come to mean many things in the historical development of our present-day American life.

The religious foundations of our United States of America were full of contestations, not unlike that of Jesus’ experience in today’s Gospel. The Protestant Puritans were seeking a place where they could follow their religious tenets without persecution or loss of civil rights.

The Catholics under the leadership of John Carroll sought a safe haven in the colonies which were clearly dominated by the Anglican traditions of the British settlers. Maryland became that safe haven.

The “Quakers,” Society of Friends, made a place for themselves in the City of Brotherly Love (philos adelphoi).

The slave trade that preceded the Civil War era created a population in the USA whose religious beliefs would be an amalgam of the beliefs that were deeply rooted in their African history and the influence of a white society that knew it had to keep them subservient.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) has a history of exclusion and mob persecution that forced it from settlements in New York, and Illinois, until it finally came to establish its promised land in Utah.

In keeping with the fact that the shaping of our national history is forged out of the conflict around, and the challenge to, the religious tenets of our people, the more recent, 19^th and 20^th century, streams of immigration continued to mirror the experience of contrasting religious beliefs.

Catholics, Muslims and Jews have all known the exclusionary strategies that made coming to the USA a test of wills and a test of their resolve to flee from persecution and to seek a safer life for their families

The Gospel passage from Mark is a clear and simple narrative of the kind of opposition that Jesus met from the vested authorities of his time. Jesus was challenged by persons who had no interest in his teaching, but looked for ways to trap him in his public statements, in order to diminish his standing in the face of the people.

Religious faith gives a people resilience. God’s Spirit helps Christians to face the challenges that are not always religiously motivated, but are intent on diminishing the voice that Christians shall have in the surrounding society.

At the conclusion of today’s Gospel, Jesus makes the choice to keep silent in the face of his attackers, and to proceed along the path of righteousness that He was going to be faithful to and that he would make possible for his followers.

Beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand
by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in the love of God
and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
that leads to eternal life. (Jude 17, 20-21)

We are those followers.

Fr. Arthur Carrillo, C.P.,  is the director of the Missions for Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Citrus Heights, California.

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

Scripture:

1 Peter 4:7-13
Mark 11:11-26

Reflection:

Today the church remembers one of the great early martyrs who was also a philosopher and theologian.  Justin, who was born in present day Nablus, a city in Palestine, had a long intellectual journey before arriving at his strong faith in Jesus Christ and the Christian view of life.  He had tried several other philosophies as guides in seeking God but ultimately was impressed with the virtues and quality of life of the Christians and this drew him to his new faith. He, and several of his students, were beheaded in Rome about 165 AD because they refused to submit to emperor worship.

While the readings for today were not selected specifically in memory of Justin, a connection can be found.  The first reading is from the First Letter of Peter, one of the New Testament’s most beautiful books.  The purported author Peter writes to several churches located in Asia Minor, present day Turkey.  A strong emphasis of the letter is that the Christians should give the witness of a virtuous life to their surrounding non-Christian neighbors.  A famous verse in this letter—not included in this selection—asks the Christians to always be ready, when asked to give an account of the reason for their hope—but to do so with gentleness and respect.

The quality of the Christian community’s own inner life is also meant to be a public witness.  In the passage we hear at today’s Mass, the author urges his Christians “let your love for one another be intense…”  “Be hospitable to one another without complaining.  As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.  Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”

The Gospel of Mark’s dramatic account of Jesus’ purifying the temple makes a similar point about doing good but in a very different mode.  On the way into Jerusalem from Bethany, Jesus discovers a fig tree that does not have any fruit on it and condemns it!  And then comes his strong action in the temple, acclaiming that the behavior of those frequenting the temple had transformed it from being a “house of prayer for all peoples” into a “den of thieves.”  When Jesus and his disciples head back to Bethany to spend the night, they discover that the fig tree had withered.  In effect, the evangelist uses this strange incident of a barren fig tree as a commentary on the misuse of the Temple.   The scene concludes with Jesus reminding his startled disciples that when they pray they should first “forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.

Authentic faith and piety should make a difference in the manner of our life, particularly how we treat others.  Justin’s experience and Jesus’ condemnation of false piety remind us of the powerful witness that comes with authentic Christian virtue.

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.

The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3:14-18a or Romans 12:9-16
Luke 1:39-56

Reflection:

In today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke, Mary, after hearing the news from the angel that she would give birth to the Messiah, traveled “in haste” from Nazareth to the house of her cousin Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, which was in a village in the hill country of Judea. When Mary arrived, she found her elderly cousin also pregnant. Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary, “filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

In 1987 I was a senior in high school and on retreat with my classmates in the hills above Malibu. Wow, what a tough area for a teen to have to go on retreat. It was a great weekend, though, as we discussed God and how he related to us as young men in the world, and as we played games and ate good food, and really had nothing to worry about.

Until it was time to prepare to receive the Holy Eucharist.

We were told to go to confession before mass. All the while standing in line I was thinking, “Let’s see… I can’t tell him that or that, oooh, and certainly not that!” I was so embarrassed of the things I’d done. I just couldn’t tell anyone… but especially not a priest! I was so ashamed of so very much, the least of which was that this was the first time I’d be going to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation through all of high-school.

When I finally went in I was honest and embarrassed, and the priest didn’t seem surprised or put off by anything I said. He gave me my penance, which consisted of one Our Father and 3 Hail Marys, and then think about what I’d done. I diligently prayed those prayers, thought about what I’d done, and then I thought something else. At the time, I didn’t realize how silly it was.

“Confession is silly.
I don’t need a middleman.
I’m just going to tell God directly.
That’ll be good enough.”

I’ll bet I’m not alone in that thought…

Fast-forward 25 years and I had not been to confession since that retreat. I’d become incredibly weary of trying to ignore God’s call to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I was so broken I didn’t think anyone could put me back together again. But, friends, let me tell you something – I mustered up all my courage and went. I was in the confessional for what seemed like a half-hour, and when it was done I went to perform my penance. This time it was also one Our Father, and three Hail Marys, but I was directed to go and sit with the Blessed Sacrament, quietly, and ponder the words to those prayers as I offered them. I’d prayed them so many times, though! What new things could there be for me to think about? Well, at that moment, I became the silly one…

Here are the three parts of the Lord’s Prayer that stung me most.

“Our Father…”
This means that everyone is my sister or brother. Even that beggar on the freeway off-ramp and the thief that stole my identity.

“Thy will be done…”
This means I must let go of my agenda and embrace what God wants. But I want what I want!

“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Uh-oh. So, I’m telling God that I expect to be forgiven, but *only* to the extent to which I’m willing to forgive that person that hit me? The person who lied? Or stole from me? Betrayed me… destroyed me to my core?

Pretty big thoughts.

But it was my reflecting on the Ave Maria – the Hail Mary – the simple prayer to our Mother of Sorrows, the Mater Dolorosa, that hit me most deeply.

“Hail, Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb – Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners,
now,
and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Which part of that prayer, first uttered by St. Elizabeth, stands out most to you? For me, it was these two lines: “The Lord is with thee. Pray for us, sinners.”

We, sinners, who need all the help we can get, have it, if only we would ask. That day, this prayer from the beautiful Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary reminded me that I’m not alone, even if I feel like I am, even if I want to be. If only I tear down my walls and open my heart, I’d have the space for God, my Father, Jesus, my Brother, the Holy Spirit, breath in me.

Well, after I pondered all this, and more, I experienced the most amazing thing… Friends, there is nothing I’ve felt more powerfully than when I’ve received Jesus during communion after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The intimate and powerful meeting with God is amplified so deeply when we acknowledge our failings and our brokenness, and then get to actually hear someone tell us, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Now I hit the confessional regularly… and boy do I need it. And the Ave Maria is one of my favorite prayers. But perhaps when I next pray the beautiful Hail Mary I’ll be reminded that she’s waiting to visit me, to help me, to ask God to be with me when I’m most in need.

Like right now. And tomorrow.
And at the hour of my death. 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.

Scripture:

1 Peter 1:18-25
Mark 10:32-45

Reflection:

It is a paradox of faith.  We are at the same time so very small and so very great.

If we gaze up at the stars at night and try to visualize how immense is the universe, we start to feel very small.  Scientists estimate that there are a hundred billion galaxies out there, and that the universe is over 13 billion years old.  In terms of space and time we are so infinitesimally small, like a grain of sand in the Sahara desert.

But then we have the words of our first reading today.  St. Peter says that we were ransomed, saved, delivered not by silver or gold but “by Christ’s blood beyond all price.”  Christ’s blood is priceless.  That makes us priceless, worth more than silver or gold.  That’s very great.

But wait. It gets better.  By baptism we are made members of the Body of Christ.  It doesn’t get any better than that!  C. S. Lewis said, “Next to the Blessed Sacrament, your neighbor is the most sacred object present to your senses.”  That includes the “neighbor” you see in the mirror.

However, we are made great not to be set on a shelf and look pretty.  We are made great – for service.  Jesus tells us today that, “Anyone who aspires to greatness must serve the rest.”

Worth more than silver or gold, a member of the Body of Christ, and called to walk with Christ in a life of service…  That’s all gift, given to us by God out of love. No wonder Meister Eckert stated, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”

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:

1 Peter 1:10 -16
Mark 10: 28 – 31

Reflection:

. . . be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, Be holy because I am holy. 1Peter 1:16

The readings today remind us that through our discipleship we are called to holiness. Holiness is about wholeness. It is about becoming the person that God created us to be through embracing who we are at the core of our being. Pope Francis’ latest encyclical, Gaudete et Exsultate, “rejoice and be glad” is about holiness. He writes that the fruits of holiness are joy, perseverance, patience and meekness, a sense of humor, boldness and passion. And with these were are able to overcome those things in the world that lead us away from God and the spiritual life.

In recent days a friend of mine passed away unexpectedly. She was eighty-five but none the less she was working and carrying on with everyday tasks until about two weeks ago. She went peacefully in her sleep. God called her home and she did not hesitate. She was my “wisdom elder.” I looked to her about how to live a holy life. She was kind, gentle, passionate about her work and life. She loved fishing and solitude and was certainly full of joy. She was naturally herself. She rejoiced at others accomplishments, big and small. She encouraged others in their endeavors. She made everyone feel like they were her best friend. She had a passion for her job, which was giving tours at a local Benedictine community, and shared with them her love of Christ and life. She had become what God created her to be and it come out of her so naturally. She was holy and true self. She was a disciple of Christ who new suffering and embraced that suffering knowing that Christ was helping her all the time.

Becoming holy takes a bit of work and sacrifice. It requires courage to make choices that are not what society tells us to choose. And there are so many rewards awaiting us after the work is completed. The Gospel for today is clear:

“. . . there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or
children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred
times more now in this present age . . .” Mark 10:29

Let us become holy because we know someone who is holy and because we desire to be that which God created us to be.

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

Scripture:

1 Peter 1:3-9
Mark 10:17-27

Reflection:

In 1 Peter 1:3-9 we are reminded of God’s goodness and love.  Even when we don’t see or feel that presence and goodness it is there!  Peter reminds us that life will have its ups and downs, trials and suffering, but ultimately God wins out!  Faith tells us of the love and security we all share with the one who created us.  Mark also reminds us that with God everything is possible as long as we put our faith and trust in a loving and persistent God.

Today we take time out of our holiday gatherings to pause and give thanks for the freedom we enjoy in this country we call the land of the free and the home of the brave!  We remember in prayer all of those military men and women who gave their lives for the cause of freedom.  We pray also for our veterans of past conflicts as well as those who currently serve in the military.  We owe a great debt of gratitude and blessings to all of these courageous and faithful service men and women.

So as you gather with family and friends this Memorial Day, pause and offer a blessing for all those who have endured trials and suffering past and present!  Take time to visit a veterans’ grave and offer a prayer of thanks or stop by a nearby veterans facility to say hello and thank them for their service.  You might write a letter to a soldier stationed far from home and let them know someone is thinking about them or invite the soldiers in your area for hospitality and a chance to unwind.

However we choose to celebrate this day of remembrance may we never forget these words from 1 Peter:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
Kept in heaven for you…..

Theresa Secord is a Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

The Most Holy Trinity

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40
Romans 8:14-17
Matthew 28:16-20

Reflection:

Today is Trinity Sunday.  This is a day we celebrate the mystery and revelation of the Holy Trinity.  We celebrate the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  This relationship is the beautiful expression of God’s love.  It is at once a mystery and a gift of love from God.  I really like the way Fr. Richard Rohr looks at this mystery.

“The basic template of reality is Trinitarian, it’s relational.  God is relationship.  Let us create in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves.  (Genesis 1:26)  God and evolution are inviting us toward a relational wholeness that is a synergy and a life energy higher than either one apart but even larger than both together.”

I think in simpler terms, we are all connected.  Father, Son, Holy Spirit, me, you, and everything in the cosmos around us are connected and one.  That’s why love is so important in the scheme of things.  If God is love, we are love.  Love is the relational energy we share that moves us toward oneness.  What I do every day, every action I take impacts everyone and everything else.

If I affirm life in all its forms I affirm the loving presence of God.  If I deny love to anyone or anything I weaken the love we share.  Division is the enemy of love.  Unfortunately we live in a world which seems more divided all the time.  We kill the innocents and divide families.  We scapegoat whole groups of people and destroy the earth.  We use nationalism to disguise greed and hate.  Trinity Sunday reminds us, we can do better.

Trinity Sunday is a day to remember the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  It is also a day to work for better relationships with everyone and everything.  As we celebrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity may we also pray with Jesus and base all our actions on His prayer “that all may be one.”

Terry McDevitt, Ph.D. is a member of our Passionist Family in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

James 5:13-20
Mark 10:13-16

Reflection:

My memory of growing up in Omaha is that the month of May was filled with days of bright sunlight, blooming flowers, May Crownings, and warm days in the park. But recent experiences of May have proven less idyllic, if it was ever so. I am more aware of the tug of war between winter and summer. One day of lovely south breezes is followed by strong north winds coming off Lake Michigan, plunging the temperature back into the 40’s. It is a time when the life we know is there in the Earth struggles to emerge. But emerge it certainly will.

The Letter from James today reflects something of the same tension. He seems keenly aware of the tension between sin and grace. He appreciates that we all struggle to live a good life, but reassures us that hope and reconciliation break through the barriers in our life that keep us from becoming the men and women God created us to be.

These barriers are evident in the Gospel reading, a story that is both profoundly disturbing and heartwarming. The disciples, rebuking those bringing children to Jesus, must have thought they were doing the right thing by imposing some order on the crowds. But Mark writes, “When Jesus saw this he became indignant….” Jesus saw the barriers the disciples were putting up. Jesus was always needing to help his friends resolve the tension of their wanting to do right instead of doing good. He stays faithful to them as they sort out sin from grace.

We all struggle in allowing the life within us to emerge. Sometimes others impose barriers on us, and at times we erect our own. The first step in allowing the fullness of life to emerge is to recognize and name the barrier, the sin, and trust that new life unfolds as sure as we know summer finally will win out. We just need to be patient with the process.

Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and was the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.