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Scripture:

Numbers 13:1-2, 25-14:1, 26-29a, 34-35
Matthew 15:21-28

Reflection:

Holy Frustration

Our Exodus story continues,  and  I’m feeling inside myself a tremendous amount of frustration. 

Before speaking of the frustration, this isn’t merely a historical story, leaving us detached and gazing at a historical event. We are connected to the story because these are our ancestors.  Moreover, the story of our lives is a journey story which has strong parallels with this Exodus story.  Let’s go back to the frustration.

Recall how this story begins.  It begins in frustration with our ancestors being slaves in a foreign country.  Through the events of liberation we move out of slavery but yet we end up moving into more frustration.  We grumble. We are hungry! We grumble. We are thirsty!  We grumble.  We are tired of this flaky starchy manna.  We grumble.  We even want to go back to being slaves.   Because even when we were slaves life was more predictable.  And we’re frustrated. This journey story has a lot of frustration.  After so many years, we finally learn how to live out in the desert, and to trust that God will give us sustenance, our children are born, our elders die, and finally we come to the Promised Land. If only it were that easy.  For before us is more frustration.  So today as we hear the reading we sit on the edge of the Promised Land gazing in.  And after all this time, we cannot enter.  We must wait some more time.  We must continue our journey.  But aren’t our feet tired and our bodies weary?

A couple of years ago we expanded our labyrinth here at the retreat center. A labyrinth is a walking journey prayer.  It moves one from the outside to the inside and there is only one path.  Retreatants frequently reflect back to me how quickly they think they are getting to their destination.  However, if one continues to walk the labyrinth they realize that just as you begin getting close to your destination, the path turns.  In the labyrinth you end up walking a path which leads you out, away from, and all around the destination you are trying to reach.  Retreatants frequently will say how this mirrors life.  The mirroring of life of the labyrinth is also the truth we see in this first reading.  Just when we think we are getting to where we need to be going, God gives us a detour. 

Do we not see the same issue in the Gospel?  Jesus is very clear of his mission.  His mission is "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel".  Those are his words.  Yet this woman, who is an outsider, refuses to take Jesus’ "no" seriously. 

One way of looking at this story is that the need and frustration of the woman lead her to Jesus.  Notice she is not disrespectful.  She honors him and pays him homage, even calling him, "Lord".    She does not accept Jesus’ "No".  Her frustration has led her here.  She stays in the frustration and keeps pushing Jesus.  She will even take Jesus analogy and throw out an argument simply because of her desperation. 

Have you ever had an experience of a holy frustration?  Perhaps it was around issues of finance, health, or the raising of your children.  If you have, I invite you to take some time today to allow these readings to speak to that experience. 

 

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is on the staff at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, California.

Feast of St. John Mary Vianney

Scripture:

Numbers 12:1-13
Matthew 14:22-36

Reflection:

Foibles and Fear — Faith and Forgiveness

St. John Mary Vianney, today’s celebrated saint, was known for his generous ministry of the Sacrament of Reconciliation…many sought God’s forgiveness and encouragement through the pastoral care of the Cure of Ars!  Now, years later, our own sharing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation invites us to acknowledge our failures, overcome our fears, and faithfully seek God’s forgiveness and love.

Our readings highlight God’s continued outreach to us in our foibles and fears.  In the Book of Numbers, Aaron and Miriam mistakenly grumbled to God about Moses’ personal conduct; realizing the gravity of their mistake, Moses interceded for them and asked God to remove the leprosy which had afflicted Miriam.  The words of Psalm 51 are an inspired plea for God’s mercy, prayed by all sorts of saints and sinners.  Today’s Gospel selection from Matthew highlights Peter’s lack of faith as he tried to cross the choppy waters of the lake, and Jesus’ literal reaching out to him to save him from drowning.  In these scripture selections, "human nature" tried to get in the way of God’s loving plan for people – and yet nothing can hinder God’s fidelity and unconditional love for us.

God invites us to benefit from regular, in-depth reflection on our personal spiritual lives.  Are we growing?  Has personal sinfulness clouded our view of people and our world?  Is our faith strong enough to carry us over troubled waters?  Are we humble enough to reach out for the help that God offers us in so many ways, especially through the Sacraments?  Such questions and reflection are at the heart of our Passionist retreats, parish missions, and other ministries.

And, "Cheerleaders" abound for us in living the Christian life — Moses, Miriam, Aaron, Peter, John Mary Vianney, Paul of the Cross … to name just a few!  Their lives witness that our foibles and fears are divinely outmatched by God’s forgiveness and love, if we faithfully open our hearts to Jesus Crucified.  Indeed He awaits us with outstretched arms, a loving smile, and a warm embrace.

 

Fr. John Schork, C.P. is the local leader of the Passionist community in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Scripture:

Numbers 11:4b-15
Matthew 14:13-21

Reflection:

The Word of God is so clear today and shines a bright light on our own challenges when we are faced with, seemingly, insurmountable difficulties. Personally, I work with another Passionist priest, Fr. Bob Crossmyer, C.P.,  and a team of laity who are doing everything possible to maintain the launching of a college preparatory high school that invites only students from low income homes ($40,000.00 combined income or less) to attend. They are welcome here, provided they are willing to: 1. work, once  week,-at  an entry level, corporate job where they earn 70% of their tuition, 2.  do homework and maintain good grades, and, 3. set their aim on going to college. This program actually breaks the cycle of poverty (raised in poor neighborhood,get  poor education,have poor job, resulting in living in a poor neighborhood).This is the work of Jesus who says to us in the "deserted place" of his day: "They need not go away; you give them something to eat…Bring them here to me."  "…here to me," in our case, is the Catholic school  system. It is the Body of Christ, the Church working in our midst.

One of the interesting spiritual phenomena in doing something about insurmountable difficulties in Jesus name is that we are changed and transformed in the process. God is going to do what God wills, and desires that we act according to the image of God. That is the shaping and forming that goes on. The image of God in Christ is a powerful  one of compassion, not doing miracles. I suppose that Jesus could have said something like "don’t worry guys, I’ve got these resources that will take of it." No, it was the power of compassion. I know the distractions of lack of funds, and, just cutting corners and making excuses are easy cop-outs to faithfully taking action through  compassion. Why is a team, a "body," so important? More often than not I don’t feel the compassion, the challenges can drain me. Moses had this issue when he complained to God; he had had it. God would subsequently gather 72 to share in the responsibilities which Moses bore. The compassion of another team member just gives everyone the impetus to follow through. Maybe that is what happened when the disciples began distributing the meager amount of food available and then collected "twelve baskets full" of leftovers.  Faith in the face of the insurmountable, through compassion, gets communicated somehow  through His Body on earth. It is a matter of paying attention.

 

Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P. is the president of Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School, Ensley, Alabama.  

Scripture:

Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15
Ephesians 4:17, 20-24
John 6:24-35

Reflection:

Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves." This is how Jesus responded to the people who searched him out after the feeding of the multitude which we read about last Sunday. This response unlocks for me the message behind the readings for this Sunday. Similar to the structure of last week’s readings this week we are again reading and learning about an historical incident linked with a spiritual message in the Gospel, a similar incident in the Hebrew Scriptures, and a virtue-based message by St. Paul that is related to these incidents. Once again Bread becomes the symbolic instrument for the spiritual message.

A similar (but perhaps less tactful) response that Jesus could have made to these people is that they are "thinking with their stomachs and not with their hearts." In the case of the feeding of the multitude or in the manna that comes from heaven it seems that the people who are affected are seeing this as a form of divine welfare policy. God and Jesus are both suggesting to the people that this is not the case. In both incidents there is certainly the implied message that God will provide, but the heart of the message is not that. Instead what it is desired is that the people see this test or sign as an opportunity for them to relate with each other in a way that is similar to how God is treating them. This is an invitation not just to eat, but to share and to "perform the works of God."   

St. Paul also reminds us that this is an opportunity for us to put away our "former way of life… and to be renewed in the spirit." In this letter Paul reminds the Ephesian community that in the former way of life the Gentiles were "lost of all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity." Following these verses we hear St. Paul offering some rules for the new life in Christ. These rules are based on a close relationship of solidarity to one another. We are expected to be truthful, slow to anger, compassionate and sharing. "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us."

These miracles can only be truly understood as part of the overall message that we are called to be in powerful relationship. On occasions God demonstrates this relationship between each one of us, our Divine Creator, and the cosmic forces of creation. These moments that we consider supernatural are moments where all creation testifies to the intense relationship that God calls us to be in. The manna from heaven, the feeding of the multitude, the resurrection of Christ, all these are moments that demonstrate a divine purpose where all of us are called to be in relationship with God and with each other. This relationship is a relationship based on love, integrity, and mutual sustainability.

 

John Gonzalez is the Executive Director of the Passionist office for Peace, Justice and the Integrity of Creation.  He lives with his family in New York.

Scripture:

Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38
Matthew 13:47-53

Reflection:

Today’s Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 84: "How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, mighty God!"

Our first reading from Exodus directs our attention to the Dwelling that housed the Ark of the Covenant.  The Dwelling was carefully constructed by Moses, and was considered a holy place.

In every Catholic church we have a tabernacle.  The Blessed Sacrament is kept in the tabernacle.  And reverently we genuflect to the Lord present there when we enter the church. The tabernacle is considered a very holy place.

However, there is some place holier than the Dwelling Moses built.  There is some place holier than a tabernacle.  And that "place" is the baptized Christian.   St. Paul tells us, "Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you (1 Cor 3:16 )? "

A tabernacle may be made of gold and covered with diamonds.  But it is still just a thing.  It has no mind, no will, and no heart.  It is not alive.

We are living tabernacles, with minds that can know truth, wills that choose good, and hearts that can love.  What a wonder of creation and grace is the human person in whom God dwells. How lovely is the dwelling-place that is you!

St. Augustine said, "Those who are filled with love are filled with God."  The people of the Old Testament had a cloud and fire that directed their journey through the desert.  We of the New Testament have the words of Christ and grace of the Holy Spirit directing us on a journey of love.  Filled with God, we advance with grateful hearts.

 

Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist community in Sierra Madre, California.

Feast of Saint Alphonsus Liguori

Scripture:

Leviticus 25:1, 8-17
Matthew 14:1-12

Reflection:

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church.  A lawyer at 17, Alphonsus overlooked important evidence and lost a case. He resigned, became a priest and founded the Redemptorist Order of priests. He wrote extensively on moral theology and is patron of moral theologians and confessors. 

It is appropriate on this feast that the first reading today offers us insights into the Old Testament Law. In addition to the day of rest for human and beast provided by the weekly Sabbath in the Mosaic Law, the land itself was to have a year of rest every seven years with the Fiftieth Year being a year of Jubilee. The Book of Leviticus also required that land could never be sold or mortgaged beyond the next Jubilee year and that the property was to be returned to its original owner every 50^th years and all crops were free for everyone. Thus the law of the land strongly emphasized the inalienable character of family holdings and God’s presence with the poor and defenseless.

Today’s gospel invites us into the story of John the Baptist’s fidelity to the law and how, in challenging Herod, who had unlawfully taken the wife of his brother, Philip, John was imprisoned and beheaded without even the pretense of a trial.  We know the story!!!

What might these scriptures  say to us today?  The first question that comes to mind is: Do I celebrate a weekly Sabbath rest in mind as well as body?  What about family weekly worship and rest? Do we plan this day together?  Who in your family or neighborhood is celebrating a 50^th jubilee sometime soon? Would it not be appropriate to ponder the deeper meaning of this celebration as a family of faith and share your reflections to all who celebrate?

Throughout all this, our Psalm prayer for today reminds us that we come before our loving God in prayer and say together as a community:

May God have pity on us and bless us.  May God’s face shine upon us.
… The earth has yielded its fruits; God, our God has blessed us. 
May God bless us and may all the ends of the earth fear God!

 Sr. Marcella Fabing, CSJ, is on the staff of Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, California.

Scripture:

Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
Matthew 13:54-58

Reflection:

"…..Is he not the carpenter’s son?"

"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house".  Jesus was identified.  They knew who he was – the son of Joseph the carpenter, the son of Mary.  They knew just what the son of a carpenter was expected to do, but Jesus was daring to speak like a rabbi, and he was saying things that even the rabbis weren’t saying.  He was talking about the kingdom of heaven coming in our midst.  And he spoke with wisdom and performed deeds of power.  But he was the son of a laborer.  And the people around him were convinced that God wouldn’t speak through someone like that.

When did we lose the idea that God is the God of surprises, the one who reveals the extraordinary in the midst of the ordinary?  When did we decide that God was tame and predictable?  In today’s gospel, Jesus was disrespected because he was lower class, not well educated…..the son of a carpenter, and yet he dared to suggest that the common people – not just the powerful – mattered to God.

Through God, the ordinary are chosen to perform the extraordinary.  This has been God’s pattern throughout history.  We never know just whose voice may be important.  God uses many different voices to be instruments through which the Word is spoken to reach this diverse, hurting world.

LORD……..HELP ME TO DEVELOP "SPIRITUAL EARS" TO LISTEN FOR YOUR VOICE 

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

Scripture:

Exodus 34:29-35
John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42

Reflection:

Today on this Feast of St. Martha the Church offers us the option of two possible gospels for our reflection. I chose Luke’s story of the conversation between Martha and our Lord. It is a familiar story for most of us. Jesus comes to visit his friends Martha and Mary who lived with their brother Lazarus in Bethany. Now Martha, being the good hostess, was busy with all the serving, tending the needs of all the guests. (My presumption is that Jesus did not go alone but brought at least his disciples. There were probably others from the village there also as well as the news of the arrival of a famed teacher and healer like Jesus would have spread through the village like fire.) Needless to say, the house was more than likely crowded with folks that needed to be fed and cared for.

Martha therefore had her hands full. And it seems reasonable that she would be a bit perturbed by her sister’s lack of assistance. While Martha was running around like the proverbial chicken with its head off; there sat Mary at the feet of Jesus soaking in every word, every gesture of the Master. Martha complaint does seem justified. "Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me." You would think Jesus being reasonable and just would have taken Martha’s side. Yet as is Jesus’ way he turns the situation upside down telling Martha that she worries and fret about so many things…but Mary has chosen the better part.

How often do we choose the better part? How often do we sit at the feet of the Master contemplating his word and soaking in his every gesture?

It is interesting to note that St. Paul of the Cross, our Founder, made it a priority for all members of the Congregation to take time away to sit at the feet of the Master. In his 1775 Rule Paul of the Cross specifically refers to the houses of the vowed members as "retreats." These "retreats" were not at first places where the laity would gather for preaching and reflection on the Passion the way many of our retreat centers now are. Rather they were homes for the vowed members to rest and rejuvenate their spirits after the preaching missions they were sent on throughout Italy and beyond. These "retreats" were their home base where they could recharge their batteries and seat at the feet of the Master to be replenished. As an analogy from the first reading from Exodus, these "retreats" were the mountains where members could go to meet God face to face as Moses did in order to bring God’s people the word of life itself.

It is not enough for a Passionist, vowed or lay, just to preach the Passion of Jesus. Those dedicated to the Good News of the Passion must also spend time reflecting on it and its implications for their lives and the life of the world. Can we take time this summer to sit like Mary at the feet of Jesus? I am sure in the end Martha did.

 

Patrick Quinn is the director of planned giving at the Passionist Development Office in Chicago.