Claire Smith

Scripture:

Colossians 1:24-2:3
Luke 6:6-11

Reflection:

For many today, keeping the Sabbath seems like a quaint Jewish tradition.  But for Jesus’ contemporaries, and even today, the Sabbath has been a powerful symbol of identity in an often hostile world.  The Sabbath is a sign to all that they are God’s special people.

In Jesus’ time, Jews strongly emphasized keeping the Sabbath because only a few hundred years earlier, Jews had been exiled from their land for disobeying God’s laws.  Consequently, they carefully and sometimes scrupulously defined what “work” meant and what activities were forbidden.  However, religious leaders could set aside Sabbath rules if human life was in danger.  However, certain types of non-death-threatening healing activities were prohibited. 

Even Jesus did not generally heal on the Sabbath.  In keeping with tradition, Jesus too would wait until after the Sabbath had ended at sunset to perform healings.”

Why, then, did Jesus heal a man’s withered right hand on the Sabbath and among a synagogue community?  In chapter 5, Luke tells us.  “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath” (v. 5).  Jesus clearly declares his superiority over sabbath laws and can authoritatively interpret them.  Luke composed his gospel, which included Jewish Christians, primarily for Gentile converts and other marginalized peoples. 

These were the ones who needed to hear Jesus’ Christological affirmation.  They were the ones who needed to be reminded of Jesus’ words at the beginning of his ministry when he read the Isaiah scripture passage:  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…” (Is.  61:1).  Then Jesus pronounces unambiguously that this scripture has been fulfilled in the synagogue community’s hearing.

Sabbath rest remains a sound principle today for everyone.  We all need rest, true rest from all that distracts or distresses us.  We need quiet time with God.  Only then can we hear Christ calling us to proclaim the good news to the poor, the marginalized, those whose souls and hearts may have withered by life’s circumstances.

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 33:7-9
Romans 13:8-10
Matthew 18:15-20

Reflection:

Repeatedly, Jesus emphasizes love as the basic necessity of discipleship. All else – every commandment, every activity, every community action – flows from love. Simple, right? Oh, how I wish it were!

Love that does no evil or harm to another is a difficult balancing act. I’ve had times where someone has hurt me deeply. I resist the urge to hurt back, acting out of compassion and recognition of their worth in God’s eyes, and sometimes our openness to each other results in mutual forgiveness and reconciliation. Yet in other situations, reconciliation is impossible or ill-advised. I still resist the urge to hurt back, but how do I understand, forgive, love, and wish the best for someone, while keeping myself from being hurt or victimized by them again?

In another vein, we are commanded to hold each other to account for our actions. We must be able to take responsibility, accept corrections, and in cases of wrong-doing, apologize while doing what is possible to restore them to wholeness. I’ve personally experienced correction from people who live or work with me that was truly helpful, changed my perspective, improved our relationship, or prompted me to grow in positive ways. I’ve also experienced correction that served to tear me down with disparaging criticism. Such “correction” is usually birthed out of that person’s insecurities, past wounds, or desire for control and power. Again, how do I manage being corrected in the latter case without violating Jesus’ commands on love?

Most importantly, what about my own actions and motivations? How willing and able am I to tell someone they’ve hurt me without making it personal and destructive? When offering correction to others, in what ways do I act out of my own insecurities, past wounds, or desire for control and power? Are there people in my life who don’t have the courage or personal resources to tell me that I’ve hurt them, and if so, how do I feed that reluctance by my attitudes and actions toward them?

I wish I could give you the answers to all these questions. It’s inadequate to say, “Well, the answer from Jesus is simply to love,” because the rubber hits the road in discerning how to enact God’s love in tough situations. As Jesus says in another passage, it’s easy to love those who are lovable and who love us. It’s a challenge to love those who hurt or are destructive to us.

In my prayer this week, I focus on examining myself for how I can improve, and on praying for wisdom in my most difficult interactions. As I said, it’s not easy! But I trust that over time, and probably with a lot of trial and error, Christ will light my path and instruct me in the ways of divine love. I pray the same for you, too! It’s the only way to live the reign of God in our midst.

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:

Colossians 1:21-23
Luke 6:1-5

Reflection:

Come Queen Sabbath, Come Lord Jesus

When the mistress of the house sees three stars together in the sky, the sign that the Sabbath is over, she recites the ’t’chinoh’, a meditative prayer to our merciful God to feed and protect.

                                    “God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob,
                                    Guard Thy people Israel in Thine arbor;
                                    The beloved Sabbath is departing….”

It seems a small issue, the nibbling disciples rubbing the grain and eating it on the Sabbath. Our Lord offers a Scriptural exception to perhaps put judgement on hold. But the argument is far from satisfied. The Sabbath had developed many laws over the years, and their defenders are speaking from devotion and tradition.

The Sabbath arises among the Jewish people as a day of rest, a day of kindness to the tired animals, the working men, and an opportunity to extend charity to strangers and travelers. Before the kingdoms unite and Israel will go into exile, the day of rest is joined by assembling in the temple. We hear that because it is a Sabbath day the temple will be filled. And so that day is the best time for the coup d’erat against the evil queen Ataliah and the ascendancy of the young prince Jehu (Amos 8:5).

During the Exile in Babylon the Sabbath grew to importance equal to circumcision, the hallmark of the covenant with God. There was no temple or altar on which to offer sacrifice, but observance of the Sabbath could be observed. With the return to Jerusalem after the exile two lines of development are seen in understanding the Sabbath: many laws of observance were introduced, but also a “special parallel observance of delight, not a burden” was present. At this time grew also the synagogues which complimented the Sabbath day with study and prayer.

It was said of the Sabbath that it was a wonderful gift from the God of Israel; the pleasures of the Sabbath were one-sixteenth of the depth of the world to come; and, on the eve of Sabbath God gives man a special soul, and with the ending of Sabbath it is taken away from Him.’

In 3rd century Palestine the Talmud attests to wearing Sabbath cloths on Friday evening and saying , “Come, let us go out and meet the Sabbath Queen,” or “Come, bride; come, bride!” With the introduction of this ceremony the poetry of the Sabbath reaches its peak: a procession forms, cantor and congregation turn about at the last stanza of the song and face the door of the synagogue, as if they expected the royal bride, the Princess Sabbath, to come in to her beloved groom, Israel.

With Israel we who follow Jesus are also a people who wait and hope. Arguments happen, human things change and develop, but for God who rests times and seasons obey. Queen Sabbath and the Bride groom meet. But Queen Sabbath departs, so it seems. Let us celebrate their mystery and love as we wait.

Come Queen Sabbath, Come Lord Jesus. Your love and mystery we ponder.

Fr. William Murphy, CP is a member of Immaculate Conception Community in Jamaica, New York.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Micah 5:1-4a or Romans 8:28-30
Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

Reflection:

In Saint Matthew’s gospel, the story of Jesus’ birth is told mostly through the eyes of Joseph. He is the one to whom the Lord reveals the Divine plan and Joseph is the one who is the principal actor in these early events. Joseph is however an ‘actor who never speaks’ either in interactions with others or indeed in his dialogue with the Lord. Joseph is a silent witness, but an acute listener and one who acts on every instruction given by the lord (albeit in dreams).

However, while the scripture highlights Joseph’s role in the birth of Jesus, today our focus is drawn towards Mary since the liturgy of today celebrates her birth – a Feast Day that has been celebrated in the Church from around the sixth century onwards.

Tradition celebrates Mary’s parents as Anne and Joachim (who only have the one child Mary herself). We know little of the life of Mary prior to her call by God and her marriage to Joseph, and as to Mary’s early years we must speculate. Perhaps we might consider two possibilities for the life that Mary lived.

Firstly we might note ancient tradition which stresses that from her very childhood Mary was dedicated to God and served in the Temple as a girl and young woman. This tradition can be seen in the writings of the Fathers of the Church who claim that Mary was presented to the Temple and served there from the age of three until the age of fourteen (when she was betrothed to Joseph and left such service to marry). Certainly there is evidence in the scriptures of women offering non-liturgical service in or around the Temple,  and we encounter one such person in the story of Joseph and Mary meeting Anna – an elderly widow who spent her days in service at the Temple.  But whether Mary lived such a life in her early years is beyond my knowledge.

Another way to reflect on Mary’s early years is simply to speculate that her life may have been no less than that of other young girls of her day. Although in such times girls were excluded from formally attending school, there is evidence that both mothers and fathers instructed their children in the Law, the scriptures and the customs and religious practices of the community. Mary’s faithfulness and dedication to God seems to provide ample evidence of her having an education that both nourished and informed her faith deeply. Of course for Mary, as for everyone in her society, education also meant learning basic skills – and indeed far more, since the scriptures record that apart from skills like weaving, cooking and sewing, women in fact undertook various tasks in agriculture and worked with textiles, perfumes and practiced as midwives.

But the essence of today is that of faithfulness. Mary’s whole life is given to God and her faithful stance becomes for us not just a key component in the story of our salvation, but a wonderful example to us of how to live our own lives.

Mary teaches us that discipleship knows no bounds, can be active at any age of our lives and that it is founded upon family, upon learning and listening and upon a deep sense of faith in God. Like Mary we are called to be listeners to the Word and to welcome the Word into our own lives so as to live our lives in service of Jesus ‘God with us’.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is the Provincial Superior of Holy Spirit Province, Australia. 

Scripture:

Colossians 1:9-14
Luke 5:1-11

Reflection:

Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.  -Luke 5:5-6

Upon first reading of today’s gospel passage, I’m thinking Luke left something very important out of the recipe or directions. Why does just doing as Jesus tells them, work?  Is it timing? Does Jesus see something that wasn’t in the water while they were fishing all night? Is it magic? Maybe my unbelief comes from my own experience trying to fish. Fishing has never been my forte.

Maybe what is missing, is the focus. As Passionists we are taught and believe keeping alive the memory of the passion of Jesus, is the focus to life. What Luke and I and many of us don’t talk about is the fish giving their lives to these people, fishermen. Yes, it may seem that they have no other choice, just like Jesus who freely gives himself totally, even dying on the Cross seemed to have had no choice when confronted with his executioners. I believe that Jesus was God and he did have a choice. He chose to give himself. Do these fish in today’s scriptural passage have a choice? Of course not. They do however give their lives up to these fishermen. The basis of our daily ritual of the eucharist is to give thanks. Trying to understand this passage considering that, makes much more sense to me.

God, help me freely give myself to you today, without reservation. Help me also to say thanks, both as a regular ritual of saying “Grace” before I consume any of mother earth’s gifts and as a regular, maybe even daily ritual of going to Mass or Eucharist to say thanks to you.

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

Scripture:

Colossians 1:1-8
Luke 4: 38-44

Reflection:

As a psychotherapist for decades, I never cease being stunned by the power of listening. The intentional act of focusing on every word that comes from the mouth of someone sitting across from me can indeed be transformative.

In our rushed, over-scheduled, pleasure-focused lives, the simple act of paying full attention to someone is rare. How many of us feel the urge to win an argument, dominate a conversation, score points in debates, or sound wise? Competition seems built into our genetic structure and can erupt in even casual conversation without our full awareness.

To take time to concentrate on zeroing in on the family member, spouse, co-worker, neighbor or casual acquaintance as they speak to us results in a shift in the dynamics of interaction that can put a person at ease, make them feel valued, relieve their anxiety, lower their defenses. They leave the chat lifted in ways we may never know. More importantly, they may depart and imitate our way of listening with the next person they meet.

When I pray over today’s Gospel selection from Luke, I imagine Jesus’ extraordinary capacity to connect to the suffering people by focusing and touching. The demons he did not allow to speak, perhaps to make space for the goodness of the needy person, the person’s authenticity, to emerge and transform their lives.

One theme of the best-selling book, The Body Keeps the Score, is personal pain and traumas can impact our bodies, sometimes resulting in various autoimmune and other diseases. It makes me wonder if Jesus, in his compassion, wasn’t aware of this and knew the way to free us from our dis-eases, whether emotional or physical, was profound love. The love that is expressed by undistracted listening and tender touch.

In today’s Gospel, the crowds didn’t want Jesus to leave them. It makes sense. To encounter such powerful human connection was as rare then as it is today. But it need not be. We are Christ’s only ears, eyes and gentle hands today. When we, by God’s grace, reach out to the worried, the physically ill, the emotionally distressed, the grieving, the addicted, the frustrated, the confused, we work miracles of healing as he did. We spread goodness. We change lives.

This is building God’s reign in our troubled world, person to person.

In quiet prayer today, when you can focus entirely on Jesus while alone, I encourage you to listen. His Spirit will guide you to heal and to transform. It may be a simple gesture of respect, a comforting comment, a visit to the funeral home, or a sit-down listening session with someone close or a stranger. Whoever you encounter, know God put that person in your life at that moment for you to share the most wonderful gift of all . . . love.

Jim Wayne is a board member of the Passionist Solidarity Network (PSN), and author of The Unfinished Man. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11
Luke 4:31-37

Reflection:

Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do. -1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this about his Word?” -Luke 4:36

You cannot be a Christian and not be aware of the power of words. That familiar start of the gospel of John tells us that The Word (Christ) was there at the very beginning of all things. And through this Word all things were created. God’s word is an important part of our liturgy and prayers. And yet, do we take as much care with our own words as we should?

The people of Capernaum were amazed at the power of Jesus’ words. He was able to cast out demons, calm the sea and wind, and soften hardened hearts using His words. How often today words are used to harm and destroy, to break down, or to divide. Pope Francis often speaks of dialogue, whose Greek roots mean “through words,” when talking about the proper use of words: “I cannot ever tire of encouraging you to dialogue fearlessly.” To dialogue with someone is to stay in relationship, even through challenging times. We have the power to build up another, as St. Paul admonishes us to do.

So how can we use dialogue, especially when in conflict with others? First, start from curiosity. Ask questions to try and understand another’s point of view. You’re not gathering ammunition to clobber them with when you speak. Second, be transparent about your own point of view. We need to be fearless (as Pope Francis encourages us to be) to examine ourselves and be honest with our words. All of this should be done with compassion, both for ourselves as well as those we are dialoguing with.

If our words are imbued with Spirit, we will truly have the power to change the world. My prayer for myself today is that I consider all of my words and speak with compassion to all I meet.

Talib Huff is a retired teacher and a member of the retreat team at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, California. You can contact him at [email protected].

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Luke 4:16-30

Reflection:

Spreading the Good News

Today’s Gospel selection recounts Jesus’ early ministry on a sabbath in his hometown synagogue.  He proclaimed a familiar reading from Isaiah, and then said “…today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”  The initial reaction of the people was very favorable – “the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him…amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth”.  BUT, when they realized the full implication of what he was saying — that he was the fulfillment of the prophecy — their “favor” turned into incredulity.  How can the son of Joseph the carpenter be all that he claimed to be?  Their incredulity “blossomed” into hostility and fury, to the point of almost hurling Jesus over the brow of a nearby hill!  Jesus escaped the people’s fury by passing through their midst and leaving his hometown…on to other peoples and places, other challenges — and opportunities.

In our 21^st Century world, we ponder Jesus’ challenging words as he quotes the prophet Isaiah.  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor…to proclaim liberty to captives…recovery of sight to the blind…to let the oppressed go free…to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord…”  Jesus provides us with his “mission statement”, his ministry to peoples of all times and locations:  It’s Good News that challenges each of us to action, just as it did the people of long ago! 

Today we in the United States and Canada celebrate Labor Day.  We thank God for the resources and skills that help us collaborate in providing the necessities of life for one another, along with responsibly caring for all of creation.  As citizens of planet earth and members of God’s family, we celebrate Labor Day in a spirit of thanksgiving and petition — that God would continue to watch over and inspire each of us to “labor” for the good of all creation as 21^st Century, Spirit-filled disciples of Jesus.

As disciples called to “labor” in our world, we have Good News to proclaim in both word and deed!  God’s Spirit is with us as we face the challenges of violence and hunger, of floods and hurricanes, of bigotry and racism, of illness and injustice and selfishness of all types.  No matter our heritage or our experience, we offer our gifts and our limitations to build up our human family and our world in the bold spirit of Jesus and Isaiah.

With and in Jesus, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon us.”  Time to build!  Let’s get moving!  Amen.

Fr. John Schork, C.P. serves as the Province Vocation Director and also as Local Superior of the Passionist Community of Holy Name in Houston, Texas.