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Daily Scripture, November 13, 2009

Scripture:

Wisdom 13:1-9
Luke 17:26-37

Reflection:

The beaches and waterfalls of Hawaii, the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, the fjords of Norway…..all of these are places of great natural beauty.  Perhaps your or my favorite scenic places, whether lake, mountain or prairie, are less well-known.  Whatever the case, each one of these places can lead us to God.  During my novitiate year, Fr. Tom More Newbold was exclaiming on the beauty of the Sierra Nevada mountains to us.  I remember him saying: "How could people not believe in God after seeing such beauty?"

Our selection from the Book of Wisdom today puts it this way: "Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them."  

God shares the beauty that is God’s own, that is, holiness, with each person.  Today we celebrate St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first United States citizen to be canonized.  She recognized the beauty of God in the people that came to her and her sisters for help.  She saw in the stranger, the sick and the frustrated (from today’s opening prayer for Mass) the face of Christ.  Today, let us ask God for a greater realization that all of the beauty that surrounds us is from God.

A verse from the song FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH puts it well:

     For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, 
     Friends on earth and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild:
     Christ our Lord, to you we raise, this our sacrifice of praise.

 

Fr. Bob Bovenzi, C.P. is stationed in Houston, Texas.

 

Daily Scripture, November 12, 2009

Scripture:

Wisdom 7:22b-8:1
Luke 17:20-25

Reflection:

Many people in India wear a colorful dot on their foreheads. This location, between the eyebrows, is known by various names such as the ajna charka, third eye or the Eye of Wisdom. The vivid mark, called a tilak, is a daily decoration or religious gesture for some. Often at special ceremonies and rituals it is a custom to place a red kumkum or beige sandalwood tilak on guests as they arrive or depart. While this may sound mystifying to those in the West, it is a beautiful sign indicating a person’s intention to honor and open the Eye of Wisdom.

Physical eyes make contact with the physical world. When our two physical eyes are open, we see a rich world of color, forms and shapes. If they grow dim or weak, we cannot perceive the physical world clearly. In the same way, if the Eye of Wisdom is not cultivated or opened, we are unable to perceive spiritual dimensions. "Opening" the third eye means unification of our consciousness with Divine consciousness.

The book of Wisdom from the Hebrew Scriptures describes wisdom as "an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty." To see the world through the Eye of Wisdom means to see the world as God does, without the intrusion of the ego. The Eye of Wisdom is freedom, for wisdom sees and knows things as they are. The Eye of Wisdom perceives beyond the world of duality – good vs. bad – to embrace all fields of experience equally. "She reaches from end to end mightily and governs all things well."

Those who move along the spiritual path come to realize that the third eye matters more than the two physical eyes. Of course, good eyesight is enormously important and advantageous in the conventional world. Yet when the Eye of Wisdom is opened through spiritual practices such as meditation, a person becomes conscious of a radiant realm which was previously inaccessible. With the Eye of Wisdom one can perceive what Pharisees in the Gospel missed: the Kingdom of God in our midst.

 

Fr. Joe Mitchell, CP is the director of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center in Louisville, KY.

Please visit his website: www.earthandspiritcenter.org.

Daily Scripture, November 11, 2009

Feast of Saint Martin of Tours

Veterans Day

 

Scripture:

Wisdom 6:1-11
Luke 7:11-19

 

Reflection:

November 11 was originally proclaimed Armistice Day, from the armistice that ended hostilities in World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of 11th month, in 1918. Later, Congress in 1954 changed the observance to include all veterans, and so Veterans Day.

November also is the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, the patron saint of soldiers.  Martin was born in 316 in what is now Hungary.  He was named after Mars, the Roman god of war by his father, a tribune (or colonel) in the Roman army.

When Martin was ten, he disappointed his parents by taking instruction as a catechumen. However at age 15, Martin made his father proud by joining the army.  He was stationed in northern France.

One day, he passed a man freezing on the road.  Martin immediately tore his military cloak in two and gave half to him. That night, in a dream he saw Jesus wearing that half cloak.

Martin saw more than a dream.  He saw a lifelong calling to cloak the lowly and poor.  Soon after, he was baptized and later his church drafted him into service as a bishop to…"rescue the lowly and the poor; and from the hand of the wicked deliver them." (Ps. 82)

Martin died Nov. 8, 397 and was buried Nov. 11.

On this day, Armistice Day, now Veterans Day and also St. Martin’s Day, we rightly remember and celebrate in gratitude all those men and women who have protected us with their military cloak.

Perhaps, armistice may be the best we can do.  Hostilities cease for a while, only to erupt again.  Meanwhile, the Lord continues to shiver in the winter of war, reminding us that he offers us, not the peace the world gives, the half cloak of a temporary armistice, but a true and lasting peace.

 

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

Daily Scripture, November 8, 2009

Scripture:

1 Kings 17:10-16
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44

Reflection:

Widows are women who have gone through suffering. They have experienced the loss of their husbands and have had to learn to cope and develop new life strategies. Both widows in today’s readings display a wonderful spirit of generosity as well as trust in God. The widow in the Gospel gave (in the Greek) "her whole life."

I read a story about a woman who was driving in L.A. The cars on the freeway came to a standstill. As she stopped behind the car in front of her, she looked with horror into her rearview mirror. She saw a car barreling down the freeway with a distracted driver and knew she was about to be hit very hard. She noticed that her hands were clenched tightly around the steering wheel. Instantly she thought, "This is the way I have always lived by being in control and clutching tightly…I’m not going to die this way." She let go of the steering wheel and placed her hands by her sides. The impact was powerful. The cars both in front and behind her were totaled with her car sandwiched between them. Miraculously, she escaped unharmed. The police told her that because she had let go and relaxed, she was less susceptible to injury.

This experience taught her that she could live life with an open hand instead of a clenched fist. She relaxed and now feels more connected to herself than she ever has. It is an entirely new way to live.

These readings challenge our life’s strategy. Rather than clutching tightly, we are invited to live life "open handed" and give our entire being to God in trust. These readings inspire us to surrender finances, time, our potential, and our heart to the one who can increase and multiply us. Perhaps you could take a moment now to open your hands in prayer and surrender all you are to God. 

 

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. is a missionary preacher, author of 13 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/

 

Daily Scripture, November 10, 2009

Scripture:

Wisdom 2:23-3:9
Luke 17:7-10

Reflection:

My beloved Uncle Leo died when I was 14 years old.  I remember standing frozen at the funeral home, looking at the lifeless body that just a short time ago contained unbounded joy, a delightfully wicked sense of humor, and more love than his human heart could hold, causing it to spill out onto all of us who knew him.  At that moment, I became convinced of heaven.  I simply could not fathom that this irrepressible spirit died with his body. 

I don’t recall whether today’s first reading, commonly proclaimed at funerals, was part of his.  It would have correlated well with my feelings, though.  It serves to reassure all grieving survivors that their loved one is dead to this world, but alive in Christ.  She is at peace, he darts about in utter freedom, and their spirits soar in ways beyond what we can imagine in this world.

This is a comforting message indeed.  And yet I continued to struggle with my grief.  I felt intensely conflicted – happy that Leo wasn’t suffering and had reached the paradisiacal goal we all seek to attain, while simultaneously missing him, feeling lonely for his physical presence, longing to hear his laughter, and needing the unconditional love he showered on me.  

My struggle was exacerbated when I confided in a teacher at my Catholic high school.  She told me my faith was weak and I was selfish, that if I truly loved Leo and believed in God I could not be sad.  I was devastated, and never showed my pain to another person.  I didn’t stop crying, but I cried in private or into my pillow.  And I felt profound guilt, convinced that God was disgusted by my immature and inappropriate tears.

I have learned so much about grief in the decades since then.  My teacher was wrong.   It is normal to wrestle with the conflicting feelings that flooded my heart.   A person of faith can be happy for their beloved dead and yet sad for their own immediate loss.  Jesus cried when his friend died.  The psalmists poured out their anger, confusion, and pain, emboldened not by weak faith but by a faith so deep they knew their relationship with God could withstand and even benefit from such transparent honesty.  Along with the first reading, they believed the words of today’s psalm: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves." 

Trust in God’s promises does not mean denial of loss, loneliness, pain, and a broken heart.  It means living in the paradox, embracing both the joy and the sorrow of a loved one’s death.  

 

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/.

Daily Scripture, November 9, 2009

Scripture:

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17
John 2:13-22

Reflection:

The parents were going away for a long weekend and Grandma and Grandpa were coming to stay with the kids.  The mother trusted her adolescent sons and their younger sister to behave and to know what was permitted and what was not acceptable behavior.  They were basically good kids, and yet…

One of the blessings or curses of motherhood is the near compulsion to organize the details of her kids’ lives, to make sure there are no loose ends left dangling which could lead to trouble or at least unnecessary stress and tension.  Mother knew the children knew what was expected, but she could not help herself.

            "Don’t pick on your sister or fight with your brother,"

            "Get your homework done and no TV or video games after 9 o’clock"

            "Help Grandma with the dishes, feed the dog and put him out regularly."

            "And don’t try to pull a fast one on Grandpa or you will be grounded for 10 years when we get home."

As the liturgical year begins to come to an end, the readings focus on the "end things" and the departure of Jesus.  Today’s Gospel contains a series of sayings and admonitions from Jesus on the way his disciples are expected to interact without him.  It is almost like a type of last minute advice and warning about who they were expected to be.  Jesus needed to make sure they had understood the meaning of his life and the presence of his Father in him.  He trusted them and yet…

            Even though scandal will arise about you, don’t YOU be the source or cause of it. Be aware of what you do and how others see you.

            Correct each other lovingly if you are aware of wrongdoing.

            Forgive one another and ask for forgiveness with sincerity.

            Don’t doubt your faith – it will grow and deepen and you will be amazed at what will result.

Many people, as they approach the final years of life, have accumulated a depth of wisdom and insight about what really gives meaning and value to life.  Often as they are preparing to depart from this physical life,  there is a need to pass this wisdom on to those they love, to leave a legacy of lessons learned and truths understood.   Yet it can sometimes be a challenge to those to whom this wisdom is given to listen with love and humility and to acknowledge the need to be reminded that there is much to learn.  May we all be willing to share the lessons and insights life has bestowed but more importantly to listen to those who have so much to give.

 

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

Daily Scripture, November 7, 2009

Scripture:

Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27
Luke 16:9-15

Reflection:

It is interesting that the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans, which is his most formal presentation of the revelation of Christ, ends with greetings to some 26 coworkers he hopes to meet in Rome. Some of them are assisting him in Corinth, such as Tertius who was his secretary and Phoebe who was to be his messenger and take his letter to Rome.

We get just a glimpse at how organized the Church was some 25 years after the great events of the first Holy Week.  We see it is a Church of Apostles and a very active laity.

Aquila and Priscilla worked with Paul in Corinth and Ephesus and had now apparently returned to Rome.  The message of Vatican II is nothing new! Parish staffs, lay volunteers, some going out to distant lands as missionaries, are as necessary to the Church of the 21st century as they were essential to the time of Saints Peter and Paul.

The Vatican II General  Council insisted: "No less fervent zeal on the part of lay people is called for today; in fact, present circumstances demand from them a more extensive and more vigorous apostolate.  For continuing population increases, progress in science and technology, and growing independence between peoples worldwide have immensely enlarged the field of lay apostolate."

This call does not come as something new from our Church leadership.  It comes from the Living God.  "Lay people’s right and duty to be apostles derives from their union with Christ their head.  They are inserted into the Mystical Body of Christ by baptism and confirmation, it is by the Lord himself that they are assigned to the apostolate."

In that first generation of Christians, we find lay people taking up ordinary tasks that need doing.  Deacons began by waiting on tables,  taking care to provide food, shelter, clothing for poor among the newly baptized Christians.  Instructing new comers to the Faith, providing for traveling preachers, reaching out to the needy, sending Paul help when he was imprisoned.  Even a slave, Epaphroditus brought the faith to cities the apostles did not reach.  It was their Church.  Today the Church belongs as much to laity as it does to the Pope and the Bishops.  In it all are called to live the faith fully and to share it generously.

And today, the care for the secular world is part of the lay vocation. The Bishops thought it proper to warn: "Christians who shirk their temporal duties shirk their duties to their neighbor, neglect God himself, and endanger their eternal salvation."

Paul cited 26 names in his final paragraph, a Bishop today would need to write a book!  It is the age of the lay apostle!

 

Fr. Fred Sucher, C.P. is retired and lives in the Passionist community in Louisville, Kentucky.  For many years he taught philosophy to Passionist seminarians.  

Daily Scripture, November 6, 2009

Scripture:

Romans 15:14-21
Luke 16:1-8

Reflection:

If we had invested our money with Bernie Madoff, we might not appreciate the story Jesus tells in the Gospel reading. Madoff had billions of dollars from other people who trusted him to invest their money wisely and prudently. His Ponzi scheme was so clever, his costumers thought they were making money, not losing money.  Individuals, corporations and foundations lost everything to Madoff’s greed.  His greed and the losses he caused were enormous and unimaginable. The scheme is named after Charles Ponzi, who became notorious for using the technique back in the early 1920s.  Crooks have always been with us!!

Jesus seems to compliment the steward who wisely schemed to protect himself.  The steward had mishandled his employer’s funds and was about to be fired.  He strategically called in his employer’s debtors and reduced the amounts they owed.  By doing this, the steward hoped to be able to find alternative employment with one of them.  Surprisingly, the employer, far from being angry, praises the farsightedness of his dishonest steward.  Like Madoff, the steward acted with shrewdness and intelligence, according to the steward’s boss.

Jesus is not really condoning the steward’s dishonesty and corruption.  His point is that even greedy people who defraud others work hard at providing for their futures.  We, as children of the light, must also work hard to prepare for our future, for the final judgment.  We should be taking the necessary steps to guarantee our future life with God, not by greed or dishonesty, but by building a life, here and now, based on truth and integrity, on love, compassion and justice.  Our future is best prepared for not by fraud or by getting people to like us, but by reflecting to others the image of Christ in our words and deeds.  Our work is to build up the kingdom of God by making God’s will our own will.  If we do this on a daily basis, even though we are not always successful, then we have nothing to worry about and our future is assured.

 

Fr. Don Webber, C.P., is Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province and resides in Chicago.

 

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