Claire Smith

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Scripture:

Galatians 3:7-14
Luke 11:15-26

Reflection:

Eight German Jesuits lived about a mile from where the Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August of 1946. That bomb killed a half million people, and laid low the entire city, that is except for the home where these Jesuits lived. The church next to the home where they were huddled praying the rosary that day was completely demolished. When one of the survivors, Father Schiffer, S. J. was asked his reaction he said he thought it was simply the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Pope Saint John Paul II who introduced the world to the luminous mysteries of the rosary, survived an assassination attempt on May 13, 1981. Shot in the abdomen when he entered St. Peter’s Square for an audience that day, he was rushed to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome where the doctors had to operate. Regaining consciousness briefly before the operation, he asked the surgeons not to remove the brown scapular he wore, an external sign used by many who have entrusted themselves to Mary’s protection. That assassination attempt took place on the exact day and hour Mary first appeared to the three children at Fatima. St. Pope John Paul II forgave his assassin and expressed complete trust in him.

These two stories I share on this feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary make me think, maybe its time for me to stop fighting so much and get back to saying the rosary. We did that as a family when I was a kid in the 1950’s and as a high school seminarian in the 1960’s. Sadly, somewhere along the way, like many other good habits, I stopped it.

Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists.  He lives in Chicago. 
Jesuit story from epicPew link

http://epicpew.com/rosary-save-priest-atomic-bomb-hiroshima/

Scripture:

Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14
Luke 11:1-4

Reflection:

How old were you when you learned and memorized “The Lord’s Prayer” or as we frequently call it, the “Our Father”?    Do you know which gospel version of that prayer you learned?  I’ll give you a hint.  It probably wasn’t from Luke’s gospel.  For today as the church reflects on Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer,  many will be struck by how short it appears.  It is only six lines.  Did Luke shorten the prayer?  Did he decide some of the lines of the prayer weren’t necessary?  Or perhaps the version we had to memorize was lengthened?  Or maybe there is another explanation.

Today’s gospel begins with a request.  “Lord teach us to pray as John taught his disciples to pray”.  What was the prayer which John the Baptist taught?  To my knowledge we don’t have a copy of it.  I also think it is important to distinguish that this isn’t merely a generic prayer from Jesus’ mouth.    While it may have been inspired by the historical Jesus, it is a prayer of a community of believers who have accepted to follow Jesus on his journey to God, and who press on in their mission toward the Father.  It is the prayer of those who have received the promise of the Holy Spirit, living it out in a post-resurrection age. This is a community who truly know that they are God’s sons and daughters.

Incidentally, the longer version we memorized in our childhood years is also from a community of believers.  It was a more Jewish oriented community who also became strong in their belief of the risen Lord.  They most likely share the same inspiration but different in their developments as the faith communities grew.  Pray again the prayer from Luke’s community.

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”

While thousands of words and volumes of books have been written on this prayer, today can we ponder some meaning deeper than words we have memorized?

• How do we acknowledge the holiness of God?
• What is our participation in building that kingdom? Luke’s community was meal oriented.  It was the Father who provided for them with a meal that was characteristic of their life relationships and open to all.  Through this meal which transcends all ethnic, social and economic differences, they strove to bring about the kingdom of God.  What kingdom attracts our attention?
• God forgives us from our sins. Appreciating this alone should make our day.
• Do we forgive EVERYONE in debt to us?

The wisdom of the church invites us to take time today to think about the meanings behind words we have known for most of our lives.

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

Scripture:

Galatians 1:6-12
Luke 10:25-37

Reflection:

“Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10: 36-37

We are getting close to the end of the Year of Mercy that we have celebrated in the church this year. How have we done in learning to be more merciful? Where can we still grow in this area? One of the hard things for me to see is the growing number of homeless families in the city where we live. It a difficult problem, because many of the homeless need more than a home, they need help for mental illnesses. We are helping with a home in our area that is taking in eight families today, so that’s a start!

But what do we do when we see a person on the side of the road with a sign asking for help? Do we feel uncomfortable and look the other way? I have to admit that I do just that sometimes, because I’ve heard we shouldn’t give money to those who are on the street. The agencies that help the homeless suggest that it would be better to give them a meal, or at least a “goodie bag” filled with protein bars, soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, kleenex, shampoo, etc. It’s also nice to have smaller bags with doggie treats for those who have a dog.

Even if you don’t have food or money to give, you can give these people a smile. We can acknowledge them with a nod and smile and then say a prayer for them. At least you are noticing them. Many on the street feel invisible and forsaken because most ignore them and so many of us are uncomfortable looking at them when we don’t have anything to give.

Scripture reminds us, “Give to the one who asks you.” (Matthew 5:42) I plan on being prepared the next time someone asks me for help. I invite you to join me by making up some “goodie bags” to have in your car. Even if just one person does, that would be great! And if each of us notices and tries to help the “neighbor” we encounter in our own neighborhood, city or town – then one by one, we can make a difference in our world today. Let’s each do what we can to help those God puts in our path each day.

Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Portland, OR 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:

Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5
Luke 10:13-16

Reflection:

Each of us is just one of over seven billion people upon this plant Earth.  Earth is just one little speck in the vast galaxy called the Milky Way.  The Milky Way is just one of a hundred billion galaxies in our universe.  And scientists estimate that the universe is close to fourteen billion years old.

In both space and time, in both size and length of years, each one of us is so very, very, very small.  We are as a grain of sand in the vast Sahara Desert.  Our littleness is compounded by the fact that we have our share of weaknesses, sins and limitations.  We are of little account.

A rabbi was once asked to explain how is it that, in days long past, God was very visible and present.  But nowadays, hardly anyone sees him. The rabbi observed, “Nowadays there is no one who bows low enough.”

After a long dialogue with God, Job finally bowed low enough.  “Behold, I am of little account.”  He regained not only his possessions, but also his peace of mind, knowing who he was in the presence of God the Creator.

We read in the First Letter of St. Peter, “God resists the proud but gives his grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).”  Looking up at the stars and beyond to the Creator of the stars, we humbly respond with one word: “WOW!”   God’s grace follows.  And we live our lives in a constant attitude of gratitude.

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:

Job 9:1-12, 14-16
Luke 9:57-62

Reflection:

Commitment is a big thing these days!  Either we find those who say yes and never waver or others who say yes and when the going gets tough, they pull back.  Jesus tells us that the life of a disciple requires all or nothing!  That’s hard for most of us.  Even when we try our best, oftentimes it doesn’t seem to be enough!  We have so many ‘other’ things that call for our attention, it’s hard to stay close to our commitment as faithful followers of Jesus!

We are called to do many things in this life and by far the call to be a follower of Jesus Christ is the most demanding and yet most rewarding!  For one thing it is not something we do alone!  Jesus calls, walks with us, listens to us, picks us up when we fall and most of all loves us.  It is this love that supports us when the demands seem larger than the rewards.

The disciples of Jesus were a rag tag bunch, much like those of us today.  They didn’t really know what they signed on for and neither do we most days.  What they came to realize and believe in was the amazing power and goodness of the one who calls us.  Today we pause to remember and celebrate the lives of Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his Companions, 17^th century Japanese and European disciples who were martyred for the faith.  In their lifetime they sowed the seeds of faith for the future of the church in Europe and Asia.

Over the years, my life as a disciple of Jesus has taught me many things.  The opportunity to walk with people of all ages, to learn from them, to grow in faith together, to laugh, cry, pray and celebrate God’s love has truly been gift.  My life has never been the same since my ‘yes’ so many years ago.  I would not be the person I am today without the many opportunities I have experienced.

It is with a spirit of gratitude that I continue to say YES, my Lord!  Let us continue to invite others to say yes, to look ahead and not back as we journey onward to the Kingdom!

Saint Lawrence and Companions, pray for us.!

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

Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

 Scripture:

Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23
Luke 9:51-56

Reflection:

St. Vincent de Paul was an ultimate minister to the poor.  He spent time with galley slaves on sailing ships.  He started hospitals and homes for the elderly and orphans.  He did all this while knowing it was not who he was by nature.  He had to make a choice for the poor.  He made a choice to respond with love amidst the signs of his times.

The signs of our times demand choices too.  Here are a few examples of people responding like St. Vincent de Paul.

Here in Kentucky we recently buried Sister Paula Merrill, SCN.  Sister Paula was murdered in a rural Mississippi county serving and living among the poor.  At her funeral, Sister Adeline said “Sister Paula’s own heart ached for all she saw but could not mend.”  Sister Paula quietly worked with her companion, Sister Margaret Held, among the poor because she chose to do so.

The same day Sister Paula was buried in Nazareth, Kentucky, two groups of mourners gathered to bury 14-year-old Troyvonte Hurt and Deionte Stokes, 21, here in Louisville. Both were victims of senseless gun and gang-related violence.  In the background, working with youth to prevent future violence because of these deaths, was a man named Christopher 2x.  Chris is a good man.  He works in Louisville to make peace and is often in harm’s way.  He wasn’t given this position, he chose to do so.

 Mother Teresa was just proclaimed Saint Teresa.  In 1982 and 1988 she visited the town of Jenkins, Kentucky where her order has a convent where the nuns work with the poor in the area.  At an outdoor Mass in the area, she once said “Let us love one another as Christ loves us.  The greatest gift of love we can give one another is to grow in God’s love.”  Mother Teresa and these nuns weren’t made to work here, they chose to do so.

We all have choices to make.  St. Vincent de Paul, Sister Paula, Christopher 2x and the Missionaries of Charity in Jenkins, Kentucky have made their choices.  Maybe on St. Vincent de Paul’s special day it’s a good time to think about our own choices.  Am I making my life choices for the right reason?  Maybe this sentence from the diary of Dorothy Day sums up the common ground for our choices.  “Truly love is the reason for it all.”

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

Scripture:

Job 3:6-22
Luke 9:46-50

Reflection:

The story of Job is an enduring mystery to us all. It is a story of testing a man’s relationship with God. The one who seems to have a good life, a life full of blessing is suddenly stricken and reduced to nothing. All to test Job’s faith and whether Satan is right in proposing that Job’s faith is dependent on his many blessings.

Years ago I was living and working among the urban poor in the Philippines. This was during the height when pilgrims from around the world were making their way to Medjugorje in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina. People came to what all said was a holy place where six young children reported having visions of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Most came in an act of faith. Some came to experience some of the miracles reported by others, like the spinning sun or healings. One of those often shared miracles were stories of jewelry turning to gold.

A group of Filipino women with whom I worked asked me what I thought about the various sightings of Mary at Medjugorje and the stories of miraculous events. “If it strengthens your faith and your commitment to serving the poor,” then it must be from God, I responded diplomatically. “But,” I continued, “you can deepen your faith and commitment to service without going to Medjogorje.” Then I asked, “Would you go to Medjugorje if you knew all your gold jewelry would be turned to tin?” They were truly aghast. They said God would not do that. Interesting.

In today’s reading, Job is stripped of everything, and in the end he simply proclaims, “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back again. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!” The story of Job is not about what he has or does not have. It is not about whether there are apparitions or miraculous events.  It is about our enduring faith, even when things seem to unravel. Many of us have similar experiences to Job—loss of a child, loss of a job or a home, loss of friends, loss of mobility or eyesight. Whatever it may be, we know from Job that God’s love for us can never be taken away, nor our faith or our love for others.

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.

Feast of St. Vincent Strambi, CP

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8
Luke 9:43b-45

Reflection:

Provocateur of the Cross

Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.  John 15:9

I have for a long time thought this is one of the most amazing sentences in New Testament.   The stupendous love between the Father and Jesus is likened to the affection of the Lord’s love for us!   The author of Eph 3:17f  prays that “you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Vincent Strambi, C,P.   He was an early follower of St Paul of the Cross.  For Paul of the Cross the sufferings and death of Christ is the definitive expression of His love.  “But note that the Passion of Jesus Christ is entirely a work of the infinite love of God” (Paul)   Both of these saints lived their lives in contemplation and preaching springing from that nuclear fusion of God’s love for us on the Cross!   They lived in the explosive love of the Crucified!  “Abide in My love.”

Devotion to the Passion puts a stethoscope on the heart of God.   It is a dangerous devotion because it exposes us to the extreme radiation of God’s care for us.   St Vincent by his preaching was a provocateur of God’s fondness for the world!  Job asked thousands of years ago: “What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him,” Job 7:17   In today’s world there are all too many who think that God is too big to care about us.  The Cross shows us rather the opposite truth.  We might be too big to be beneficiaries of His affection, but never too small.  Our lack of humility is our greatest obstacle to the gifts of the Lord.  We will only experience God’s revelation if we get on our knees and beg for His mercy.  The wonderful mystery of the Cross is only revealed “to little children”!

Recently I was privileged to celebrate my daily Mass in St Vincent’s room where he lived in Rome.  On the  altar was a large relic of Vincent.  It was a great privilege to celebrate this wonderful representation of the death and resurrection of the Paschal event standing by this great Passionist.

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.