Claire Smith

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

Scripture:

Acts of the Apostles 12: 1-11
2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17-18
Matthew 16: 13 -19

Reflection:

Today we celebrate two great men of the Church, Saints Peter and Paul. Two ordinary men, one a fisherman and the other a Pharisee and a tentmaker. Two ordinary men who recognized that God had called them to be something greater than they thought themselves to be. Two ordinary men who had courage to speak the truth that was spoken to them through Christ. They endured many hardships and trials for their words and actions and yet they kept on believing in the truth that dwelt in their hearts.

How could ordinary men come to do extraordinary things?

The angel said to Peter, “Put on your belt and your sandals. “ He did so. Then he said to   him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” “ Acts 12:8

Even in prison Saint Peter did not give up hope in Jesus Christ. He listened and followed the angel out of the prison. The angel had to awaken him from his sleep. If Saint Peter was asleep he certainly was not afraid of the trial that was to take place the next day. The passion that he felt in his heart, about who he had spent three years following and all that he had seen Jesus Christ do for others, must have been a source of his hope and courage. He was open to the possibility that Jesus was the Messiah and confirmed it when Jesus asked him “Who do you say that I am?” Mt 16: 15-16.

“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” 2Tim 4:7

Saint Paul was also in prison and did not fear death. He knew that he had completed what Christ had called him to do for the proclamation of the Kingdom. An ordinary man who was passionate about his faith to the point of persecuting the first Christians. Then Jesus caught his attention with a flash of light and a bit of a humbling fall to the ground. A “snap out of it” moment. He would carry the message of Christ to the Gentiles beyond Jerusalem to the end of the world; that time the Roman world. Again, his passion came from the truth that dwelt in his heart and he was not afraid to recognize it and act upon it.

Each of us are called to become something greater than what we think we are. This can only occur through faith, prayer, hope and trust in Christ. What is Christ calling you to today?

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

Scripture:

Amos 2:6-10, 13-16
Matthew 8:18-22

Reflection:

“When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other shore.”  A disciple said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”  But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

Wow, not enough time to bury my dad and then cross to the other shore?  This story from the gospel of Matthew certainly underscores the urgency of the Kingdom of God.  From what I’ve read and understood, this is “mindfulness” on steroids!

The Kingdom of God demands an attention to the present moment that most of us do not achieve in our everyday lives.  There is an urgency in the words of Jesus that explodes with the force of an almost unreasonable demand.  These words are meant to stun us from our complacency and shock us into the realization that the Kingdom of God is now!

Thinking about the past or worrying about the future is not being immersed in the call to awareness we see in today’s reading from Matthew.  As I reflect on this call to action I am reminded of all the distractions in our world which keep us from being present to the immediate reality of the Kingdom of God.  I am far from being so mindful as to know what my real and immediate priorities are as a follower of Jesus.

Join me today in reflecting on the reality of the Kingdom of God in the present moment.  Peace be upon us all.
Terry McDevitt, Ph.D. is a member of the Passionist Family in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21
Galatians 5:1, 13-18
Luke 9:51-62

Reflection:

When we hear today’s gospel reading, there is real determination in Jesus “as he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.”  Did he know exactly how everything was going to unfold? Probably not, but he knew he had to go to Jerusalem.  He knew that place was important in his journey to the Father.

Along the way, people at times welcome him.  At other times, they reject him.  But that was not his concern.  All of us are free to accept him or not.  The invitation is always there, but it is for us to decide whether to follow him or not.

The key message seems to be that this life of ours is but a journey.  And all journeys lead somewhere.  “If you don’t where you are going, then any road will do” is a paraphrase of the conversation Alice and the Cheshire Cat have in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

Jesus definitely knows where he was going, and he knew the road he needed to take.

We know our own journeys often take us down dead ends and dark alleys.  We know we get distracted by whether we are welcomed or accepted by others.  We even wonder whether where Jesus is leading us is really where we want to go.

But every so often Jesus will turn around and look at us.  He will nod and gently hold out his hand to us.  And in that moment we will know that we are on the right path, that any detours we might have made are unimportant.  He knows where he is going and we can trust that is where we really want to be, as well.

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

Scripture:

Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19
Matthew 8:5-17

 

Reflection:

Redemption Continues

Centurions were the regular soldiers of the Roman army; they were the glue that held the army together — disciplined, loyal, steady in action, reliable. Whenever they are mentioned in the New Testament, they are spoken of with respect and honor. Remember the centurion at the foot of Jesus’ cross who first cries, “Truly this was the Son of God!”? Or Cornelius, the first Gentile to convert to “The Way”?

But there was something distinct about the centurion in today’s Gospel from Matthew — his attitude toward his servant, a slave. Often the vanquished people of Roman imperialism, slaves were mere objects to be possessed in Jesus’ time, and they had no rights. But the gentleness of this centurion, coupled with his love for his servant, clearly moved Jesus.

Perhaps you have noticed a similar kind of transformation, redemption if you will, in recent news reports. Religious leaders in Orlando and across the country have brought a new sensitivity to the Latino and LGBTQ communities. In the face of horror and paralyzing sadness, we understand today’s first reading:

Cry out to the Lord;
moan, O daughter Zion!
Let your tears flow like a torrent
day and night.

Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg writes, “…sadly it is religion, including our own, that targets, mostly verbally, and often breeds contempt for gays, lesbians and transgender people. Attacks today on LGBT men and women often plant the seed of contempt, then hatred, which can ultimately lead to violence. Those women and men who were mowed down Sunday were all made in the image and likeness of God. We teach that. We should believe that. We must stand for that.”

 This chemistry between centurion and slave, or Bishop Lynch and his flock, is what gives me hope.  As the final line into today’s Gospel thunders, “He took away our infirmities, and bore our diseases.” Redemption continues.

In the introduction to her book, “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin states, “…after winning the Presidency, (Lincoln) made the unprecedented decision to incorporate his eminent rivals into his political family… The powerful competitors who had originally disdained Lincoln became colleagues who helped him steer the country through its darkest days.”

 Such leaders, woman and men, civil and religious, are still among us. Redemption continues.

Fr. Jack Conley, C.P. is the director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness.  He is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:1-6
Acts 13:22-26
Luke 1:57-66

Reflection:

“He will be called John.” Luke 1:60   The Hebrew name for John is two words put together.  One is khä·nan’ which means gracious and the other is the Hebrew sacred word for God, Yahweh.   What a beautiful name to start the ultimate story of God’s affectionate intervention into our lives!   Everything for everyone begins and ends with God’s gracious kindness!

Sometimes John the Baptist can strike us as a little scary.  “So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Luke 3:7  But his task was to clear the path of the filth of sin so to open the door to a forgiving and caring God.  The Holiness of God demands conversion from the refuse of immorality.

With the beautiful encouragement of God’s mercy by Pope Francis we also must be attentive to the first sermon of Christ. “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”   To preach the mercy of God also means eventually to remove the virus of Sin.   We sinners can indeed be touched by God’s grace before our conversion but run a deadly risk of losing God’s gift by not turning away from sin after his offer of mercy.

John the Baptist leapt with joy in his mother’s womb at the presence of the unborn Jesus.  From his birth he experienced the ecstasy of Jesus.  John’s ministry was one of the good news of God’s stunning care for the human race.  Even his name meant God is kind.   But salvation ultimately means the destruction of sin.  “you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21 We, like the Baptist, must in our ministry try to disinfect the virus of sin in our society to clear the path for God’s mercy.

 

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

Feast of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, Martyrs

Scripture:

2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3
Matthew 7:15–20

Reflection:

“I die my king’s humble, good servant, but God’s first.”  So said Thomas More, lawyer and Chancellor of England,  to Henry VIII as he was led to the chopping block to be beheaded in 1535.  St. John Fischer, Bishop of Rochester, was of the same mind as Thomas.  Our saints of the day come together with the scriptures of today to offer a fascinating principle of our spiritual lives.

Our reading from 2 Kings gives us a wonderful example of gradualism in the spiritual life.  That slow moving practice or non-practice of our faith day after day can eventually build a rather solid pattern either for good or for ill.  We might find ourselves choosing to affirm a family member each day or offer support regularly to a friend in need or simply do something small  but real for the homeless, the destitute or  the lonely.  We choose to do this day after day until one day we cannot even imagine a day going by without this simple act of kindness, goodness, or compassion.  Gradually, it has become part of our makeup, part of who we are and we begin to identify ourselves more readily as a faithful disciple of the Lord in our world today.  On the other hand, we may choose to begin leaving off a prayer or two, leaving off our attendance at Sabbath Eucharist, leaving out our sense of kindness or generosity to family, friends, co-workers or those in need around us.  We find ourselves thinking they should be doing kind and generous things for me after all I have done and meant to them up to this point.

We might find ourselves thinking they don’t deserve my attention.  We might find ourselves thinking they should find a job and stop feeling sorry for themselves.  They need to stand on their own two feet.  We might find ourselves, in a gradual way, growing more and more critical and hard hearted toward people in our lives and toward groups of people in other parts of the world or groups which have a different complexion or faith or economic status or point of view than we have.  Gradually, we might find ourselves walling ourselves off from others without even realizing it.

This was the situation for the Israelites in today’s reading from 2 Kings.  They have returned from exile.  They have, over the years, grown complacent in their understanding of and living of the Covenant with the Lord.   They cannot even remember most of what covenant living entailed.  Gradually, day by day, they lost their sense of how to live in faith, hope and love.  This pattern is broken when Hilkiah discovers the Book of the Law (Deuteronomy), brings it to King Josiah who then initiates a dramatic return to covenant living by himself and all of the people.  They begin the process of gradually reversing the destructive gradualism that infected the people with a positive, uplifting, faith based living of life with God.

Jesus echoes the same principle when He urges us to understand that we will know others by their fruits.  Day by day, are we able to see the fruits of kindness, goodness, compassion, encouragement, and affirmation in our lives.  Once begun, the small deeds gradually grow to permanent fixtures in the way that we live our lives.  We are able to recognize and rejoice in the good fruit of our lives.  The same is true of any destructive, critical or cold ways of behaving until we cannot even recognize we are in a downward spiral.  Then, only bad fruit becomes apparent.  Sometimes we need a dramatic moment such as Israel experienced with Hilkiah.  Then we are able to reset the pathways of our lives toward living in small but real ways the mind and heart of Jesus.

For Saint John Fisher and Saint Thomas More the lesson of gradualism was all too clear.  They watched and attempted to prevent Henry VIII’s gradual drift away from faith living.  They were challenged in a dramatic moment to accept the gradual move away from God or pay with their lives.  They chose to die as God’s faithful servants.  Perhaps today’s scripture will help us to re-commit to faithful living of our union with the Lord Jesus in this world, with the knowledge that our destiny is the heavenly Jerusalem with John and Thomas.

 

Fr. Richard Burke, CP, is a member of St. Paul of the Cross Province.  He lives at St. Ann’s Monastery in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Scripture:

Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1
Galatians 3:26-29
Luke 9:18-24

Reflection:

“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.” Zechariah 12:10

It seems that the older we get, the more we mourn. Loss has become an unavoidable and unwelcomed companion.

Last week, I buried a dear friend, whose family I’ve known for about 40 years. Her family and friends gathered together to remember her in prayer, to shed tears of grief and to comfort one another with faith that defined my friend’s life.

Mourning connects us at the deepest level of our existence. The first reading for today’s Mass reminds us that there is grace in mourning. For those who believe that all life is sacred, a gift from our Loving God, then the earthly loss of a life here on earth is to be mourned “as one grieves over a firstborn.”

My sister is a Bereavement Minister at a parish. Every week and every month, she comforts the dying and consoles those who come to pay their last respects. Sometimes she is called to console large families with a good number of friends. Other times, there is only a few who gather. Some who come are clearly bothered and unattached to the reality of dying. And yet, she is there, caring and praying and wiping away the tears of those who mourn. It does not matter if this dying person belongs to the parish or not, if he or she is well known or not, if they are poor or wealthy. Death comes to all and she mourns for them all.

Death touches our lives every day. Most of the time, it is the death of strangers and at other times, those who have been part of our historical journey. We hear about the deaths of immigrants crossing waters or crossing deserts. We hear about many dying at one time, and the many who die, one at a time, in every state and every country.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to mourn for his death on the Cross. We are called “to look upon him whom they have pierced” so we can mourn him. From his side will flow “a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.” And on the third day, our mourning will turn into Easter Joy.

In our second reading, Paul says, “Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.” May our mourning be a sacred mourning, a moment of grace, a moment of communion with our God of Life and the person who died, regardless of the place and circumstances of death.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus teach us how to love every one of his brothers and sisters, our brothers and sisters!

Fr. Clemente Barrón, C.P. is a member of Christ the King Community in Citrus Heights, California. 

Scripture:

2 Kings 2:1, 6-14
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Reflection:

The scriptures always make us think. Who is the most powerful person in the world today?  Is it the man who lives in the White House and who flies around in Air Force One?  If we reflect on our reading from 2 Kings we might wonder. For it is not King Ahab, the ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel that is praised, but Elijah the prophet. He is the one who speaks to God and for God and he is the one who has the power. The symbol of his power is his simple cloth mantle which he rolls up and uses to strike the water of the River Jordan. The river divides and Elijah and Elisha cross over on dry land.

The dialog that follows is instructive. Elijah is ready to do anything for Elisha. But his servant only asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. The request is honored as Elisha sees Elijah taken up into heaven in a whirlwind. There on the ground is Elijah’s mantle. Elisha picks it up and strikes the water of the Jordan which divides. There is still a prophet in Israel.

Centuries later Jesus will speak of Elijah’s return in the person of John the Baptist, the voice that was crying out in the wilderness. We must believe that God always sends his people the prophet they need.

 

Fr. Michael Hoolahan, C.P. is on the staff of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.