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Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

 

Scripture:

Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9
Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19
John 19:31-37

 

Reflection:

"To know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14

There is no doubt that every one of us has wrestled with the question, "How do I know that I am truly loved?" Maybe this question has occasioned sleepless nights or endless conversations with others. To love and be loved is what our heart longs for with great passion. Ideally, we are born into a loving family, we make loving friendships and we enter into significant life-long loving relationships. However, we do not live in an ideal world, and some of us are born into a family where love is not given or expressed, where we have not chosen our friends wisely or entered into life-giving and life-long loving relationships.

This feast, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, invites us to take all of our doubts and worries about love and being loved and place them into the Heart of Jesus. It shows us the height and depth and breath of God’s love for us and what happens when the Divine Heart encounters the Human Heart.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus began to love from the very first moment the Word became Flesh. Mary, his mother, was the first beneficiary of this love, and she was the first one who loved him in return with a human love that only a mother can give. As Mary carried Jesus in her womb, the Sacred Heart of Jesus began to touch the lives of those around him. Did not John, his cousin, leap for joy when Mary came to visit Elizabeth, her cousin? Did not Joseph become more just and compassionate when he came in contact with the pregnant Mary? The Sacred heart of Jesus is forever reaching out to touch our lives and inviting us to love in return.

And Jesus learned what it means to love in a human way living with Mary and Joseph. Did Jesus not learn compassion and charity from the example of Joseph and Mary, his loving parents? To love and be loved are the two sides of the same coin.

This kind of Love demands faith, which surpasses all knowledge, as St. Paul tells us in the second reading for today’s Mass. So many never go beyond our human experience of love, that is, the desire to know for certain that we are really and truly loved, that someone cares for us so deeply, that we will never have doubts in our hearts about that love. So often, we use human measures to mark our certainty that we are loved. We are loved if no harm ever comes to us. We are loved if we are saved from suffering. We are loved if our family and friends are spared the afflictions of this life. If we find ourselves asking the question repeatedly, "Why do these things happen to me?" we may still be living our lives just on the human plane, and have not entered more fully into a life of faith.

Jesus’ Sacred Heart experienced the joys and sorrows of this life. He rejoiced in his family, his mother and father, his cousins and friends, in his neighbors and countrymen. He was also moved with pity and compassion when he met the blind and the lame, the hungry and the poor, the outcasts and the cast-offs of society. On the other hand, Jesus suffered insults and rejection, hatred and violence, distain and hostility. Ultimately, he was condemned, tortured and crucified. This is what we call Unconditional Love.

The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is about Unconditional Love. God’s Unconditional Love for us and the call for us to give Unconditional Love to God and to our brothers and sisters, that is, to everyone born in this world. When we do that, we are filled with the fullness of God.

 

Fr. Clemente Barron, C.P. is a member of the General Council of the Passionist Congregation and is stationed in Rome. 

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary 

Scripture:

Isaiah 61:9-11
Luke 2:41-51

Reflection:

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  It is certainly the companion to yesterday’s feast of the Sacred Heart.  Clearly, the connection is the human hearts of Jesus and Mary.  Today’s feast is not about theology or the church.  It is, rather, about the human heart that symbolizes the power of life, the center of passion, the source of love and commitment.  And, the hearts of Jesus and Mary above all others reveal to us the very heart of God who is love.

We often tend to idealize Mary’s experience as a Mother.  After all, Jesus must have been the "perfect" son!  Yet, in the Gospel for today, we are reminded that being someone’s Mother is always filled with mystery, misunderstanding, hurt and sorrow.  Mary and Joseph are clearly frightened when they can’t find Jesus.  When they finally find him after a three-day search, the response Jesus gives them was not particularly satisfying.  The Gospel only comments, "his mother kept all these things in her heart."  That was the first of many occasions when Mary was confused and frightened by the actions of Jesus.

Yet, as Mary lives out her life, we witness the pure love of a Mother for her Son, but even more importantly, the love of the perfect follower of Jesus.  It is her total love of God that opens her to the request that she be the Mother of God’s Son.  It is her total love of Jesus that supports her through the heart-wrenching experience of watching her son rejected, brutalized, condemned and killed.  It is her undying love of those Jesus loved that makes her the central support of the early Christian community and all those who desire to follow Jesus.

An immaculate heart is an unwavering heart, a generous heart, a courageous heart, a totally faithful heart.  May Mary’s love of Jesus and the followers of Jesus, support us as we struggle with our faltering hearts!

 

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. ([email protected]) is the director of lay formation for Holy Cross Province and is stationed at Immaculate Conception Retreat in Chicago.

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 6:1-10
Matthew 5:38-42

Reflection:

This passage of Paul is very personal. Paul asserts that now is the acceptable time and day of salvation.

Do we think that today? Is today really a day of grace for us? Maybe, like the Corinthians of Paul’s time, we have many difficulties and challenges to our faith. We become discouraged by what is happening, or not happening in our parishes. We feel let down by our episcopal leaders. Or there may be factions and dissent in the community. His passage reminds us that we have not received God’s grace in vain. Paul spoke of what he had to endure: beatings, imprisonments, riots. He spoke of how he disciplined himself with labors, vigils, and fasts. Yet through all of the events of his life he acted through the Holy Spirit and in the power of God. He saw in his life a mixture of light and darkness, of good and bad, of having nothing, yet possessing all things. In our own journey we need to hold fast to what God has done for us. Paul bared his soul to the community of Corinth. May we hold steady on the course and run as to win the prize.

 

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

 

Scripture:

Exodus 24:3-8
Hebrews 9:11-15
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

 

 

Reflection:

Corpus Christi raises up before our eyes the beauty and value of the Eucharist. It brings to mind the gift of the Body and the Blood of the Lord. The Eucharist stands at the heart of our Catholic faith.

There are different ways of approaching the Eucharist, some of which are devotional. But the bible readings chosen for us by the church today stress the Eucharist as a sacrifice, which brings to mind the Mass. Recent popes have worried that we don’t pay sufficient attention to the sacrificial nature of Eucharist. On the other hand, some complain that attending to the Eucharist in any of these ways can be detrimental to concerns of justice, peace and the integrity of creation, constraining our efforts "to the sanctuary", and restraining them from social concerns beyond the church walls.

Today’s readings suggest otherwise. The reason is the focus on blood that the Bible presents. In Exodus it is the blood of animals, in Hebrews and Mark it is the blood of Christ. What’s notable about this emphasis on blood is the effect it produces: covenants, alliances, agreements, solidarity among those sharing in the blood.

When Moses sprinkles the blood of animals on the alter and on the people, he is uniting a sacrificial offering (sanctuary) and people, making their laborious way across the desert on their journey to the Promised Land. He calls it "the blood of the covenant". Covenant is an alliance, a device for achieving justice, a way of leveling out relationships between otherwise uneven partners: God and humans. In other words, this religious act effects the balance of justice in peoples’ lives.

More cogently, the author of the letter to the Hebrews speaks of blood again, this time, the blood of Christ shed on the cross, far superior to the blood of animals described in Exodus. And so, as we might expect, the effects are superior. The blood of Christ does more than enable us to cross the desert. It helps us to reach the gate of heaven, traversing the distance between earth and heaven. And once again we note that this is a covenant, a new covenant. It negotiates the extreme differences between our lowly selves and the eminence of God. It is a justice device, effecting solidarity between such unlikely partners as God and humans.

We have the privilege of anticipating this blood-facilitated covenantal arrangement with God by our Eucharistic sacrifice, where what Mark describes in the gospel takes place among us here and now. Jesus first took bread, then took wine, transposing them into His Body and Blood, as He proceeded to name it: "This is my blood of the covenant…" Once again "covenant" emerges to the fore – a justice device to bring about a species of equality between totally unequal partners: God and us.

The celebration of Corpus Christi reminds us that what takes place in the sanctuary of our churches brings about an unlikely straightening out of relationships, that can carry over into our social concerns, which desperately seek to hit upon legal and moral arrangements repairing the inequities in our daily lives. We strive to articulate new covenants with earth and sea, with one another, by looking to the Passion of Christ, and His shedding of blood, to restore the original creation of God in our midst, where all of us have suitable access to the land, enabling us, in turn, to enjoy just and equitable relationships with one another, because, thanks to His blood, we enjoy a covenantal bonding with God. A sense of Corpus Christi leads to a sense of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation.

 

Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, C.P. ([email protected]) is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. 

Feast of St. Anthony of Padua

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Matthew 5:33-37

Reflection:

Saint Anthony of Padua is probably the second best-known and loved of all the Franciscan saints.  He was born near the end of the 12^th century in Lisbon, and lived only until the year 1231– a lifespan similar to that of St. Francis.  He lived a full and fruitful life, however.

Ordained for the Augustinian community, he transferred shortly afterwards to the Friars Minor.  He wanted to be a missionary among the African peoples, but God had other things in mind.  He taught theology in Bologna, Italy.  His greatest glory was his preaching, which brought many people back to Christ.  Known as a "father of the poor", he lived out Francis’ love of "Lady Poverty" by making sure as many poor as he and his brothers could help had daily bread.

Anthony’s most popular attribute, however, is helping people to find lost or misplaced articles…those keys, eyeglasses or purses or wallets we sometimes misplace.  On a deeper level, he represents for us someone who has taken to heart Paul’s words to us in our selection today from Second Corinthians: "And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation."  Anthony lived out the ministry of reconciliation by preaching God’s love, by helping to feed the poor and living his community life.  May we do so also, thanking God for sharing in this ministry.

 

Fr. Bob Bovenzi, C.P. is stationed in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Matthew 5:13-16

Reflection:

"You are the salt of the earth."

"You are the light of the world."

These are both very familiar statements of Jesus, known even to those who are beyond the Christian community.  While it is good to be familiar with stories, phrases and lines of scripture, there can be a disadvantage in that what is well known can become too familiar to the point of becoming commonplace.  We can even have a tendency to "tune out" what we think we know and have heard time and time again.  Even the words of Jesus can thereby lose the ability to surprise and challenge us.  But Jesus, by speaking in metaphors, opened his meaning to unlimited, living meanings for people of all ages.

"You are the salt of the earth."  Salt is a seasoning that needs to go into something else and come in contact with food that is bland and flavorless in order to fulfill its purpose as salt.  And in this contact the salt not only enhances the taste of what it touches but the salt itself is changed and becomes part of what it flavors.  Salt and food blend together in a way that makes them a part of the other and together they are more than what they were singly.  The flavor has always been locked in the food but by contact with salt it is freed to express the taste that it really is.  Both salt and food come to some kind of completeness and thereby fulfill the purpose of the other.  The metaphor is limitless.  And Jesus said that WE are the salt of the earth.  Interpretations and our imaginations can burst forth with freedom.

"You are the light of the world."  Light must go into darkness to have the effect of illumination for a room or the world.  A lamp lit in the noon day sun has no purpose and in fact is a waste of fuel.  It is not needed. But in the midnight darkness and gloom the light penetrates and transforms what is obscured to illumine what is there but unseen.  Light does not actually bring anything new but makes visible and apparent what has been present.  Again, the metaphor is exceedingly rich.

The salt and light that Jesus says is within us, indeed actually IS us, cannot stay safely as our own possession.  They must be used as intended so that we may become what we are intended to become.  Jesus challenges us to go to those whose lives are bland and locked inside themselves or to those who are living in fear of an inner darkness of hopelessness.  Otherwise we will be putting our light under a basket and our salt will stay in the shaker.

 

Cathy Anthony ([email protected]) is on the staff of St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan. 

Scripture:

Tobit 11:5-17
Mark 12:35-37

Reflection:

The classic story of Tobit and his son Tobiah have charmed and amused listeners for generations even before Jesus’ birth. For it is a story which speaks of family and all the realities families deal with: anguish, joy, aging, illness, end of life, patience, growth and of course marriage and commitment. And indeed this is one of those stories with a real happy ending. Mom is happy for her son whom she assumed was dead and would never see again and he has finally returned after a successful mission to bring back some of Dad’s money. Dad is happy because the mission was a success, and he experiences a tremendous healing being able to see again. Tobiah, the son, is happy he has obediently completed the mission his father sent him to do thus bringing honor to both his father and his father’s name.  Moreover, he now has a bride, a new member of the family which is a blessing to the whole family. And Sarah, his new wife is happy.  She is well received and welcomed by the family. Even the Jewish people of Nineveh are happy and joyous. Everyone seems happy and joyous.

The book of Tobit was probably written about 200 years before Jesus’ birth. And most every Jew would know this story much like an average Christian of today knows the story of the Prodigal Son. And if you know this story of Tobit, certainly it is easy to see how Jesus could use such a story to spin off teachings such as the Prodigal Son, or even references to weddings, brides and bridegrooms. In these parables, Jesus is clear that this is exactly what the kingdom of God is like. And these parables are about happy people. Is it any different in the gospel today? Not at all.

The line directly preceding today’s Gospel says, "And no one dared to ask him [Jesus] any more questions." Who were the ones asking him questions? If we go back and look at the 12th chapter of Mark’s Gospel we find the first group of people to question Jesus were the Pharisees and Herodians. In an attempt to trick Jesus they ask him about the need to pay the census tax to Caesar (Mk 12:13-17). This is followed by the Sadducees testing Jesus on the Question of the Resurrection (Mk 12:18-27). Lastly, a scribe engages Jesus on the greatest commandment (Mk 12:28-34). Think of it in terms of a theological tennis match. All of Jesus’ enemies choose to give their best serve against Jesus. First are the Pharisees and Herodians, second are the Sadducees, and lastly a scribe. In each case Jesus returns their serve with a fast, direct, and un-returnable shot. Each is sequentially defeated. Now it is Jesus’ serve. David’s prophetic utterance speaks of a divine one in present tense, not future tense. Therefore the lord (Messiah) must have been in existence during David’s reign. Of course the Jews of Jesus’ day don’t want to hear this. This is a real theological conundrum for them. The people who think they know it all get stumped and the common people who don’t need all the answers find joy and delight. What a paradox. What is the delight about? I think it is that a commoner from Galilee has taken on the big boys and outshined the wealthy, and educated religious leaders.

Here’s a side note. In the past ten years I’ve spent considerable time in Catholic Basilicas, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist temples, and even a few Mosques. As I’ve watched people in all these settings I’ve noticed a common "posture". For the most part, people don’t seem concerned with theological conundrums or theological challenges. For the most part they seem to be good people who have a need to express themselves before the divine and many of them enjoy being with friends and family. They like "hanging out" in sacred ground, sharing food, telling stories, and, of course taking photos. They like to be with people they care about and they do appreciate the opportunity to pray. Sometimes this prayer is verbal, sometimes silent, and frequently it involves some type of gesture. Visiting the sacred areas and having the ability to pray is necessary for these people. I see the same with people who come on retreat. There’s always a greater desire to "get right with God" than asking the question what do I need God to do to get right with me? Because I find this so universal across structures of faith, I tend to believe that it must have been true in Jesus’ day too. I believe the people who were there in the temple area with Jesus weren’t joyous over Jesus’ theological debates. I believe their "delight" was much more a cheer for the underdog.

As we remember St. Boniface this day, he was a man whose integrity inspired him to live what he taught, and teach what he lived. We see in his life that he made decisions based not on his selfishness but on the good of others.

I guess that leaves us with a few questions for reflecting on today. What do you delight in? Do you live your life in the pursuit of happiness? Is your definition of happiness the same as the Holy Spirit’s gift of joy and delight? How do you find peace within yourself when you make decisions based on things you think are going to make you happy but they are merely acts of selfishness?

 

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

 

Scripture:

Tobit 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a
Mark 12:28-34

Reflection:

Love & Marriage…Love!!

The month of June is known for weddings, and some say that an ideal marriage is "made in heaven".  Today’s 1^st reading recalls the marriage of Tobiah and Sarah, made on earth — but also "made in heaven" as an answer to Sarah’s prayer.  Theirs was a long and happy marriage.

Tobiah was grateful for his lovely wife and their mutual love; on their wedding night he prayed with her the beautiful prayer which is the last part of today’s 1^st reading.  In it they praised and thanked God for joining together a man and woman in marital love.  This prayer is today used by some couples as a reading for their wedding Mass.

Today’s Gospel recalls that all true love is of God.  The scribe’s question prompted Jesus to share a teaching that has challenged and inspired all of us:  love God totally, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.  Jesus points out that you can’t separate love of God and love of neighbor and love of self; each flows from and interacts with the others.  It was these words of Jesus which inspired St. Vincent de Paul to say, "I have a single sermon but I twist it a thousand ways".

Each of us, by our vocation, preaches a sermon on God’s love.  Today’s readings invite us to reflect more deeply upon our lives:  our motivation, our resources and limitations, the reality of fruitfulness of life and love, and the centrality of faith.  The "first commandment", articulated in Jesus’ words and deeds, guides and enriches our reflection. 

May Jesus speak to us as he did to the scribe (with whom Jesus was most likely impressed):  "…you are not far from the Kingdom of God."

 

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