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Scripture:

James 1:12-18
Mark 8:14-21

Reflection:

"Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?"

"all good giving and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights"

Trust.

I have spent much of my life waging an internal battle with certain relationships trying to figure out if I’ve trusted too much or too little. It is painful and debilitating spiritually, physically, mentally. When those difficult times occur, it is generally because I have been unable to let go of my own sense of control and the illusion that it is I who hold the power over what direction that relationship, or sometimes a part of my life, will go.

Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t have a part to play in how my life unfolds. But I have been "enticed," as the first reading might say, "by desire." And the desire is to manage reality so that it doesn’t wound me, knock me off-balance, make me feel foolish or exposed or too vulnerable. I want to feel at peace; if only I didn’t have to let go to attain it!

What Jesus is saying in the Gospel, I believe, is that the very bread of one’s life – that which will nourish, sustain and relieve our human hunger (or desire for a life of wholeness) – does not come from a source that is external to us, just as the Pharisees or Herod could not provide the "leaven" that would truly feed the disciples. And it is also not created within us under our own power or control.

That which is good, healing and life-affirming comes to us from God. But allowing that goodness in requires a measure of trust from us. In the Gospel, we see that it is only a short time after the disciples have seen Jesus feed the multitude that their trust in Him begins to falter and they are tempted to reclaim their belief in human power in order to alleviate their hunger.

It is a cry of anguish to me – "Do you still not understand?" Jesus will need to go to the very Cross to help awaken us to the love and nourishment that is God’s gift just waiting to be received.

It is a terrible thing to live without trust; it deadens the heart and soul. But the power of God is one of resurrection, so that no heart is beyond reviving and no soul is beyond salvation. We have only to "let go and let God." Not always easy, but a promise that at the end of the tunnel, there is, in fact, light.

 

Nancy Nickel is director of communications at the Passionist Development Office in Chicago.

Scripture:

James 1:1-11
Mark 8:11-13

Reflection: 

Once again Jesus is frustrated with the Pharisees in today’s gospel. No big surprise there! And, once again, it is easy for us to distance ourselves from the actions of the Pharisees, claiming that we would never have treated Jesus the way they did. However, a little self-evaluation may indeed reveal that we are all much more like the Pharisees than we would like to believe.

Fully convinced of their own righteousness, the Pharisees wanted "holiness" to be defined by how well they followed rules and laws. In return for their "holiness", they expected God to reward them with signs and special treatment. Meanwhile, they were completely ignorant of all the signs around them. They were ignorant of the thousands of disciples who were rediscovering hope and having their lives transformed. They were ignorant to the fact that God was visiting the poor of the world through the person of Jesus. They were ignorant of their God being "Emmanuel" -with them in their humanity.

Perhaps the same can be said of you and me as we live in the modern world. Instead of celebrating what’s right with the world around us, do we celebrate what’s wrong with the world? Instead of accepting our own weaknesses in humility, do we hope to be rewarded for our "holiness"? Instead of considering it "all joy when we encounter trials," as James writes in today’s first reading, do we consider it all sorrow? Instead of having unwavering trust and faith, are we "tossed about by the wind?" (James 1: 6)

What is so ironic about Mark’s gospel today is that this section of chapter eight immediately follows Mark’s depiction of the second miracle of the loaves. The Pharisees are demanding a sign from Jesus immediately after he just fed a very large crowd with just seven loaves! The power of the Bread of Life was not fully appreciated – something we still fail to appreciate in the modern world. Think about it: How often do we fully recognize the true power of the Eucharist? How often do we acknowledge that our Creator gives us a "miracle of the loaves" every time we go to Mass? With the Eucharist as our food for the journey, we should be able to recognize the "signs of the times" – that Jesus is truly present in the modern world. We would see that despite selfish tendencies, humans truly are full of service and love. The Body of Christ remains strong.

 

Tony Cortese, a recent college graduate, is the Campus Minister at the Newman Catholic Community at Sacramento State Univversity.

Scripture:

Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
Mark 1:40-45

Reflection:

To our modern minds we find the treatment of lepers as set forth in Leviticus very harsh. The leper must live apart, outside the camp, and should a healthy person pass by the leper must cry out: "Unclean, Unclean!" This was still the law when Jesus walked the roads of Palestine. The leper in this story comes to Jesus (a bold action) and knells before him (a humble posture). His request is respectful: "If you wish, you can make me clean."

For a brief instant, everything hangs in the balance. The apostle must have been watching in shock. What would the Master do? Jesus stretches out his hand and touches the leper (a bold action that in the law makes Jesus ritually unclean) and he says. "I will do it. Be made clean."  Mark makes the judgment that Jesus was "moved with pity." The cure was instantaneous.

The power of Jesus to heal even the "living death" of leprosy was clear for all to wonder at. It was impossible to Jesus to enter a town openly.

We might first reflect that we must boldly go to Jesus as the leper did. Even that action will be an inspiration of the Spirit. We need to sense that Jesus has power. But must we go as humble supplicants, simply presenting our needs, demanding nothing. This passage of Mark’s gospel invites us to trustin the loving heart of Jesus.   

A final thought: who are the outcasts in today’s society? Are they the homeless?  Are they the prisoners in overcrowded jails?  Are they the undocumented immigrant? Are they the child that our schools leave behind?

Are they the abandoned in our nursing homes? If we are true followers of Jesus we will reach out as he did to relieve and help the least of our brothers and sisters.

 

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

Scripture:

1 Kings 11:4-13
Mark 7:24-30

Reflection:

The miracles in the gospel of Mark serve as parables. They bring to light what Jesus is about. In today’s miracle where we do not see the daughter who is cured, are fascinated with the repartee between Jesus and a pagan woman, and where Matthew will alter the miracle/parable of Mark with explanations, we are at the center of a beautiful revelation.

Jesus begins a journey into the territory of the Gentiles. He has fed five thousand, and just finished a great argument with the Pharisees over the observance of meal rituals.

"You disregard God’s commandments and cling to what is human tradition" (7:8). Soon to follow is another multiplication of bread and fish, this time feeding four thousand.

In the midst of meals and talking about them Jesus tries to get away and be ‘unnoticed’. Without the disciples present a Canaanite woman comes to Jesus. Is she rich or poor? The grammar of Mark suggests that she may be a woman of means. All the more then is her humility revealed as she crouches at the feet of Jesus putting aside any pride. If she is poor then we knew she is still rich with the love of her daughter that drives her to come before Jesus. We have to like this woman, and could Our Lord not admire and love anyone who comes so humbly motivated by love?

In this section of the gospel Mark takes us to the ‘house’, a symbolic place in which Our Lord gathers his disciples to hear his word, a place at times of miraculous healing. It is a place that speaks to the gathering of Mark’s community. In our miracle it seems that for Jesus as well as for the community a miracle/parable is about to explode. All the more so when we see that in the midst of the multiplication stories Jesus will say to his disciples, "Do you still not understand?"(8:21).

Our pagan woman first tells Our Lord that the barriers of food are broken, repeating what Jesus has argued with the Pharisees. Whatever the barriers, they cannot stand between him and her, between healing power to do good and her loving request for her daughter.

She tells Jesus more. Little children give the scraps to their pets. We think the conversation between the woman and Jesus thorny, but isn’t this a gentle example? Behind her words is such gentleness and love. Our Lord’s solitude was interrupted by a privileged grace, a woman who could be prophet. As he begins his journey among the pagans Jesus hears from her lips that we are all the children of God, and as those children we all are loved. Jesus must have thanked the Father.

We all look for days of solitude and hate intrusions, but doesn’t the surprise of God’s gifts come often at inconvenient times? But Mark’s gospel is best seen through bifocals: part for remembering Jesus, part for focusing on the community (his and ours today). And as we are surrounded with ‘meal thoughts’ we think of the Eucharist. We may gather with differences comparable to the pagan woman or Pharisees and Jesus. True, love was present with one but absent in the other; and differences would seem far greater between Jesus and the woman than with his fellow Jews. At the table of the Eucharist we gather as saints and sinners, ideally humble as the Canaanite woman but sometimes like Pharisees. But at that table we too meet Love. May the Eucharist be the cause of unity even as we gather in our diversity.

 

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

 

 

Scripture:

1 Kings 10:1-10
Mark 7:14-23

Reflection:

Recently I was taken out to lunch by the golf pro from the Houstonian Country Club. I’ve known him for some five years, and we have a great symbiotic relationship. I used to be his spiritual director, and he used to give me free golf lessons! He is in training to become a permanent deacon and should be ordained next February.

During our lunch, we talked about golf and playing with others. He said, "If you want to get to know what a person is really like, spend five hours with him on the golf course." I so agree. The game of golf tests our honesty, integrity, patience, values, as well as your language. I play golf with a variety of people, some of whom are regular church goers. Under pressure even the best can mutter God’s name in vain or berate themselves mercilessly. What Jesus taught is true: "What comes out of us can defile us."

However, what comes out of us can also ennoble us. Solomon’s wisdom brought him great prosperity and the wonderful admiration of the Queen of Sheba. She lavished him with gifts after hearing him speak. In community, we can tear people down (and thus defile ourselves) or build them up by our words. Our main Passionist ministries have to do with what we say. We are ministers of the Word. A few weeks ago, I invited our newly ordained Father Alfredo Ocampo to team with me on a parish mission. After the mission, we had a good discussion about the role of preaching and the goal of a mission. I shared that the purpose of a mission is to inspire, encourage, and persuade others to become the best they can be. Much can happen through the use of words.

Words are powerful. They can defile or ennoble us, as well as others. Like Solomon, we pray for an understanding heart, a heart of wisdom so we can rightly live in community as well as guide the people of God.

 

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/

Feast of Saint Scholastica 

Scripture:

1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19
Mark 7:31-37

Reflection:

I pray to follow God’s will and be God’s instrument, but it would be a whole lot easier if God would tell me clearly and specifically what to do to accomplish that. There are so many decisions, big and small.   Do I go to an event at the parish or should I take some quiet time at home? Do I sign up for this retreat or that one? Should I make the time to write a book or devote more time to teaching?  What I really want from God is a text message, an IM, an iPad app, a TED video, or something that spells out what I should do.  Surely with the array of digital media available, God could find a way to use one of them.

But then I remember Evelyn Glennie of Scotland. She gradually lost her hearing as a child until by the age of 12 she was profoundly deaf.  She loved percussion instruments – marimba, drums, and more – and she loved music.  Could she still play?

Not only does Evelyn play, she graduated from the Royal Academy of Music (after a fight to be considered for her talent apart from her hearing disability), won a Grammy and a whole host of other music awards, and is the first person in modern times to make a living as a solo percussionist.  How does she do it?  She says she simply learned a different way to "hear" the music.  She regularly plays barefoot so she can feel the rhythm through her feet, and she talks of how particular pitches resonate in different places – a spot on her right index finger, for example. She "hears" the music through her body, her skin, her fingers and toes, and her heart. When she plays, she truly feels the music and the result is profoundly beautiful.

Listening to Evelyn, I realize how severely I am limiting God.  After all, God doesn’t speak to us in a voice coming through an iPod, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t speaking constantly. I need to develop different ways of "hearing" the music that God plays always and everywhere.  I need to allow God to soften my hard heart so it vibrates to the divine tune. I need to "listen" with all of my faculties, all my senses, all my body, mind, and soul.

Jesus made the deaf hear and the mute speak. Yet he didn’t force them; he answered their desire. Perhaps if I can develop such a desire to hear God’s voice that nothing can stand in my way, if I can attune my entire being toward the music with which God surrounds me, then perhaps my deafness will cease to be a disability and I too will hear the divine voice of God.

 

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:

1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30
Mark 7:1-13

Reflection:

Teresa of Avila said, "You find God in yourself and yourself in God."

My earliest memories of "going to church" involve my father taking two of my four brothers, Dave, Tim and me to 6:30 am Mass on Sundays. Mom got to sleep in. We would go to what then looked like a big building to me. Today, it’s not even a decent size gym and a new truly big beautiful building has replaced it. At the Offertory, my father would give us each five cents to put in the basket. The best part of going to Mass with my father though was afterwards we would go home and Dad would make breakfast. He would make bacon and eggs and not that oatmeal or Cream of Wheat stuff we had during the week. Oh, I loved going to church with my father where I truly found God.

At that same small church, I was attending Mass one Saturday morning, the day after my mother died. I was ten years old. Fr. Casper, C.P. was saying the mass. He had visited our home on Thursday that week to be with us as we kept vigil, waiting with my mother as she lay dying of cancer. He spoke with me that evening, making sure I knew what was happening. Being the mature ten-year old that I was, I assured him, I knew. Of course, I had no idea-it would be years before I fully integrated my mother’s death into my life.

After mass that Saturday morning, Fr. Casper invited me to have breakfast with him at the monastery attached to our parish church. I went and found a new mother, a church. A few years later, I would enter the minor seminary associated with that monastery where I continued to experience church, God, i.e. people who loved and cared for each other.

Today, I try to experience church on a daily basis by loving and caring first for myself and then treating everyone who enters my life that day with the same love and care. Once in awhile, I believe, I actually succeed.

In today’s scripture, we read how Solomon builds this big beautiful temple and then wonders: ""Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built!" Poor Solomon, he had no one to go to breakfast with after attending temple. 😉

Today’s psalm says it all for me. "How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!"

 

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

Scripture:

1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13
Mark 6:53-56

Reflection:

The Catholic Catechism is divided into four main sections. Each section is introduced by a picture of a fresco or statue. The section on the celebration of the Christian mystery, or sacraments, is introduced with a fresco dating from the beginning of the fourth century A.D. The fresco, taken from the catacomb of Saints Marcellinus and Peter in Rome, shows the woman with the hemorrhage in Mark 5 reaching out and touching the bottom of Jesus’ garment.

One would think that in order to depict a sacrament they would show Jesus touching someone or feeding a person since liturgies are meant to heal and nourish. But I believe what the authors wanted to depict with this fresco is that the power and grace of a sacrament must proactively be received. The primary way we receive grace is through simple faith.

What this fresco shows is the same truth revealed in today’s Gospel. People reached out to Jesus in simple faith and received power to become whole. The glory cloud can inhabit our liturgies and sacraments when they become more than simple rote rituals. We must reach out in expectant faith to realize their power. The next time you participate in a sacrament, reach out and touch him and I believe you will receive something special.

 

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. is a missionary preacher, author of 15 books and creator of the TV program Live with Passion! airing in many cities. You can learn more about his ministry at: http://www.frcedric.org/