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Scripture:

Jeremiah 7:23-28
Luke 11:14-23

Reflection:

As we move further into Lent our scriptures present two questions. From the prophet Jeremiah we are asked how well we are listening to God’s voice. In the gospel Jesus is unmasking the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees who attribute his power over demons to the power of the devil rather than God. After demolishing their arguments, he concludes by asking us on whose side we are. Do we stand with him? Do we help gather the lambs of the flock?

How hard is it to listen to God?  From my own experience I have found two ways God speaks to me. The first is in prayer and reflection. The greatest prayer we accomplish is the Eucharist. A full and active participation engages my mind and heart. I am moved by the proclamation of the scripture and its application to my life in the homily. Then I am moved to awe and worship and thanksgiving as the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. The moment of Communion is a moment of love. Jesus and I are one. Personal reflection, or what is called meditation, is also a way to converse intimately with the Lord. We need that peaceful and quiet time for the Spirit to work in our hearts.

The second way we listen to God is by how we respond to our reading of the "signs of the times" and to the invitation of those around us. Reading the "signs of the time" give general direction to my life. For instance if I am aware of the homeless in my community then I will respond to appeals for help. I will support laws that aim to eradicate this problem. I will be concerned that the police treat the homeless with the dignity. Maybe I will serve at a soup kitchen. Next we have people with whom we are friends, neighbors, and family members. They ask for our attention and concern when they battle unemployment, deal with sickness, face the weaknesses of old age, and on and on.

If we really listen to God then we have answered Jesus’ question. We will stand with him and by our actions gather the lambs into his flock.

 

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

Scripture:

Daniel 3:25, 34-43
Matthew 18:21-35

Reflection:

There is something about the human condition that seeks the security and certainty of boundaries.  If exact expectations are known and achieved, then one can feel safe and even validated.  Little kids want to know exactly how many peas they have to eat so they can be done.  Teens want to know exactly what time is curfew and how much flexibility is to be had. (Years ago the question that obsessed Catholic teens was "How far can you go before it is a mortal sin?")  The attitude is basically "If you tell me what to do and I do just that, then I can’t be blamed or held responsible for failure or wrongdoing".  As Peter asks, "How many times must I forgive my brother?"

Laws and regulations, do’s and don’ts, are important in the development of the consciences of children and young people and for their general well-being.  But there comes a time in adult life when one cannot always depend on externals – laws, regulations, restrictions, penalties and rewards – to determine actions.  One must look within to an interior sense of what is right and wrong, good and bad.  "How many times must I forgive?" becomes "Follow the example of goodness and do what you think is best."

In asking his question of "how many times", Peter is asking for the certainty of a number, for the requirements and boundaries of a law, not more or less.  He wants to forgive enough but not too much or too little.  Jesus does not answer with a specific number or a law but with a story.  And this story essentially says to follow the example of forgiveness and love shown by one to another. Beyond the law, look into your heart to decide how to treat others with the kindness that has been given to you.  The king set an example by forgiving one official a very large debt.   And that official broke no law and was within his rights by demanding payment of a lesser debt owed to him.  But he was nevertheless soundly condemned because of his hardness of heart and refusal to follow the example of the kindness of the king toward himself.   To be right is not always to be good.

Maybe Lent is a time to reflect on our own dependence on external laws and directives rather than on an inner sense of goodness and love.  With Peter do we ask how much (or how little) must I do? or do we follow the example of Jesus who was willing to hold back nothing in his self giving to all of humanity.

 

Cathy Anthony is on the staff of St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan. 

Scripture:

2 Kings 5:1-15b
Luke 4:24-30

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel and the verses preceding it, Jesus quoting Isaiah instructs his listeners and us to bring the good news to the poor, to release the prisoner, to cure the blind, to free the oppressed.  He and his message are rejected – perhaps because he left out the line from Isaiah that sites a vengeful God, perhaps because he is not performing miracles and other wonders for his own townspeople, as they expect.   And then Jesus tells the listeners that a prophet is never accepted in his own town.  He reminds them that Elijah and Elisha also did their healing with foreigners.

Perhaps this Gospel can serve as a reminder to us to listen to the directives from Isaiah and from Jesus. We are called to reach out not just with our own family, friends and community but also reaching out to those most in need wherever they are. 

A while ago, I heard Jack Jezreel, the founder of Just Faith Ministries, speak.  Jack was telling the audience that as Church we are to be gathered and sent.  I think we would all agree with him when he says that we seem to do a pretty good job of  the gathering – of education, of worship, of forming ourselves – but we fall far short at the "being sent" part of the equation.  How much time do we as church spend reaching out to those in need, to bringing Christ’s message to the imprisoned and the sick, or to caring for the poor.  Particularly in these days, when many of us bear the burden of some economic set-backs, some giving up of living the life style that we had planned, can we be Christ-like and reach out to those who have less, whose need is far greater?  Or do we find ourselves so self-centered that we forget about others and just struggle to regain what we have lost.  Every day, in our papers and on TV and in many of our neighborhoods, we see the many areas calling out for help

For the rest of this Lent, let us fast from self-centeredness, let us give of our time, energy and resources to live the message of Jesus and Isaiah.  And let us give not from our surplus but from our own poverty to those in need wherever they are!!

 

Mary Lou Butler is a former staff member and a longtime partner of the Passionists in California.

Scripture:

Exodus 20:1-17
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
John 2:13-25

Reflection:

As we move into this third week of Lent in his letter to the Corinthians Paul presents us with the boldly proclaimed central symbol of our faith, the crucified Christ. Paul assures us that when we gaze at the crucifix we see the power (dynamis, a word that is often used for ‘miracle" and corresponding in John to ‘sign’) and the wisdom of God. For us who believe the thorn crowned, bloody, and pierced body of Jesus draws us by ties of love to a Savior God who gives himself to us completely, even to death on a cross. The power of love transforms the human situation. Nothing is ever the same again. And in a mysterious way the weakness and defeat of the cross is the hidden wisdom of God. The secret revealed in the cross is that dying is the door to new life. May we enter deeply into this reality in our meditations on the crucifix during Lent. "We adore you O Christ and we bless you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world." 

 

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

 

Scripture:

Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a
Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

 

 

 

Reflection:

Humble Love That Overcomes the Embarrassment of Sin.

Why does Lent come upon us with a certain unwelcome? Our fast invites us to feast, the work of charity is refreshing, and prayer is conversation with a best friend. True, we may not be attracted to the excitement of the three-ring circus, nor a whirlwind vacation where we meet many and landscapes changing often. Lent can be overwhelming in all that is set before us. Our first Sunday of Lent found Jesus in the desert, led there by the Spirit. An important aspect of Lent for each of us is listening to what the Spirit of God would show us, where the Spirit leads us, what the Spirit will give us or ask of us. While much is set before us and we could be overwhelmed, Our Lord listens to our needs and hopes, and sets before us the gifts that would be ours.

On the Fridays of Lent the Passion of Jesus is before us. In our readings we may ask, "where does such evil come from?" In a few moments among a group of brothers a plan to kill their youngest brother! How they doom themselves to a life of regret. Foolishness does not begin to describe their action. And as for those in the gospel who hope to have an inheritance following the murder of the owner’s son? Indeed, ‘a bad end’ is in their future. Could they be so stupid?

In Genesis we see human brokeness from the very beginning; in the Gospel we see Jesus reconciling us to the Father and to one another. We can look back as will Joseph’s brothers and shake our heads at the times when love has not been a first choice. We can look at Jesus and be humbled as he walks the journey that will lead him to be seized, dragged outside the vineyard and put to death. As heavy is the mystery of our sinfulness, heavier on the scales is the mystery of the love that embraces and reconciles us.

The responsorial psalm tells us to "remember the marvels the Lord has done." We hear of unloving choices, but that is not where the story ends, not where Lent will end. The story of Joseph is the most tender story of forgiveness. At its ending it is hard not to cry with Joseph as he realizes his brothers cannot fathom his love and forgiveness for them. And as we stand before the precious gift of the Father who gives his son to ransom a slave, we can be moved to tears.

This Lenten Friday may the Holy Spirit help us to make Matthew’s words rest upon our hearts, "it is marvelous to behold."

 

Fr. William Murphy, CP is pastor of St. Joseph’s Monastery parish in Baltimore, Maryland.

Scripture:

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Reflection:

In the story of the prodigal son, the father’s great love compels him to sit at the window, waiting and waiting for his son to come home. He knows the boy has sinned, dishonored the family, sunk to the depths of tending pigs (anathema to Jews), and wasted the inheritance his father worked so hard to accumulate. In fact, for a son to request his inheritance in those days meant that he wished his father dead. It had to be excruciatingly painful to endure, and many parents would tearfully disown and turn their backs on such a child. And yet this God-like father waited and waited for his son to see the light, to embrace love, and to come home.

We aren’t told at the end of the story what happens after the father goes out to talk to the eldest son. Perhaps he sadly returns to the house, but he can’t really take part in the party because now his other beloved son is estranged, trapped not by selfishness and greed but by resentment and self-righteousness. Perhaps the father sits again at the window, waiting and waiting for his eldest son to see the light, embrace love, and come home.

Neither the prodigal nor the eldest son got to their attitude or actions all at once. Each decision, each choice, led them down that path. The prodigal son made bad decision after bad decision as he slowly sank into depravity. The eldest son made "good" decision after "good" decision, but allowed each one to feed his sense of entitlement, superiority, and self-righteousness. The prodigal felt he deserved nothing; the eldest son felt he deserved everything.

Where am I on that continuum? Having spent most of my life trying to do the "right" things, being the "good" girl, and staying on the straight and narrow path, I fully understand the eldest son’s indignation. It isn’t fair according to human reckoning for someone so undeserving to be given the kind of treatment we believe should be reserved for those more worthy (especially when I consider myself among the "worthy" group). Yet that is every bit as much of a sin. In effect, I dare tell God not to forgive freely, not to lavish love upon us, and not to celebrate the repentance of grievous sinners. As Richard Rohr often says, "Sometimes those who do everything right get everything all wrong."

Few of us are guilty of the sins of the prodigal. I suspect that many more of us are guilty of the eldest son’s self-righteousness, judgment, exclusion, resentment, and holier-than-thou attitude. This Lent, perhaps we need to examine the sinful attitude that "good" decisions can feed in us. Perhaps we need to open our own arms to the prodigals among us, even to the point of treating them the way we feel we deserve to be treated. After all, God died to show that they deserve it, too, and God is waiting at the window for us to see the light, embrace love, and come home.

             

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.amyflorian.com/.

Scripture:

Jeremiah 17:5-10
Luke 16:19-31

Reflection:

I remember participating in a silent retreat years ago in Vina, California with the Trappists. I took a walk and was thinking about my ministry. I thanked God for the many blessings and my popular appeal as a missionary. As I considered the future I wondered and questioned. "Lord, they like me now that I am young, but what is going to happen when I grow older? Will they still come to the mission in large numbers?"

That day the Scripture reading was the Psalm 1 that we have today. I read, "He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves never fade." As I read these words I was suddenly struck with the fact that my best days were still ahead of me. God is faithful. As we remain in him and grow and mature, we become fruit bearing trees. I sensed that far from being less appealing because I would be older, I would be even more appealing because of my life experience and years with God.

There are times that I still fear the future and what it may bring. This Scripture continually comes to mind. As we journey with God this Lent, we may not see the growth. Yet, our roots are stretching deep and the running water is giving us growth. Psalm 1 was powerful in my life early in my ministry. I’ll never forget its message. The best is yet to come!

 

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. is a missionary preacher, author of 15 books and creator of television and radio programs airing in many cities. You can learn more about his ministry at: http://www.frcedric.org/

Scripture:

Jeremiah 18:18-20
Matthew 20:17-28

Reflection:

Did I ever tell you about aunt Lil? She was great-at least by today’s Gospel standard. She’s the one who taught me to dance. She taught me the words to "Oh Danny Boy"(my name’s sake) and she taught me to celebrate. Most importantly, she taught me to serve and not to worry about being served. She never preached a sermon (formally at church) and she never ever told me that I should serve, dance or celebrate. She taught me by her actions.

Shortly after my mother died, aunt Lil, with her three children came to live with us where she took on the responsibilities of raising seven more children along with her own. One of those children, my youngest sister Dee was profoundly mentally retarded and needed twenty-four a day care. Aunt Lil ‘s husband died when she was pregnant with her last child. I never knew my uncle Jack, but today I realize that he really knew how to choose a good life’s partner.

Aunt Lil never complained. Referring to the way her newly adopted family ate, she would say things like: "If I cook five pounds of potatoes they eat five pounds; if I cook ten pounds they eat ten pounds." But she never complained. Monday was laundry day, as were Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Her only embarrassment was when my mother’s mother would visit and find four of us boys tying papers for our paper routes in my mother’s living room.  Horror of horrors!

Aunt Lil died at 89 years of age. She buried her two boys, one at sixteen and one at forty-six. She continued to celebrate at daily Mass, like she did when she was taking care of all of us, until she was placed in hospice care, which she chose rather than continue treatment for cancer.

Thank you aunt Lil, for making today’s Gospel passage real for me and for all who knew and loved you: "Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave."

 

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