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Scripture:

1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Luke 6:12-19

Reflection:

This reading from the Gospel of Luke is filled with symbolism but also includes some unexpected challenges.  The mountain in scripture has traditionally been the location of theophanies – close, intimate experiences of God.  Jesus spent the night on the mountain in prayer, in deep communion with God.  Prayer in anticipation of a major decision was the fabric of his life and would be repeated often during his ministry. At daybreak Jesus called his disciples up to the mountain and chose twelve from among them to be his Apostles.   They then came down from the mountain to meet many more disciples who were with a large crowd of people seeking to be in the presence of Jesus.

Much preaching has been done over the years on the call of the Apostles and the naming of the Twelve.  But I have never heard a homily focusing on "Those Skipped Over" or "Those Not Called" or "I Was Number Thirteen".  The Twelve obviously represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel and are symbolic for the fulfillment of God’s reign.  But we know that the term disciple and even apostle is much more expansive and inclusive and even women were present within those groups.  Many women, mostly unnamed, were followers of Jesus and cared for him out of their own resources. How much fuller the Gospel would be if some of their stories had been included.

 When we use the term Apostle how often do we envision only the Twelve? When we picture the "disciples" whom do we see?  Then as well as today there are many people, men and women, who are essential but taken for granted and invisible. What is it like to be present but unrecognized or unseen?  To contribute and be unacknowledged?  To be skipped over through no apparent fault of your own?  To be essentially anonymous, unnamed except as part of the "others"? The annals of history, secular as well as Church, name relatively few women as individuals to be remembered for the ages. But in reality, few of us, men or women, will be remembered much after our deaths. 

Yet each of us is known and remembered by God.  We are called by our name and loved as individuals, unique and precious.  Our challenge is to recognize and treat each other as such, recognizing that even in crowds of thousands of  anonymous people, each person has a unique life story, is known and loved by God.

 

Cathy Anthony, M.Div. is on the staff of St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center, Detroit, Michigan.

 

 

 

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Micah 5:1-4a
Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

Reflection:

We celebrate a Jubilee year dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle in our church. Today’s reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans is my favorite of all. First, God makes all things work to good. No matter what you are going through, God can turn it into good. God writes straight with crooked lines. Secondly, our call and destiny is to be "conformed to the image of his son Jesus." God is purifying us and changing us through our life experiences. God desires that we become Christ-like.

September 8^th is the birthday of Mary in the Church’s calendar. God worked in the twists and turns of Mary’s life to bring about an amazing good. Mary’s destiny was to be shaped into the image of her own son. The genealogy in the Gospel points to Jesus’ birth, not Mary’s. Mary’s life was always pointing towards her son Jesus. She said "Yes" to God’s plan and God worked through her "fiat" to save the world.

On this day 23 years ago I, along with 7 others, publicly professed our vows as Passionists. We surrendered ourselves to God and the Church through our commitment. We said "Yes" to God’s plan for our lives. God works through our surrender. He transforms us into the image of Christ. He makes all things work to good. God uses us to impact and influence others.

Like Mary we are all invited to live our lives "according to God’s will." God has predestined you for glory. Surrender your life right now and watch how God will turn your "yes" into good.

 

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. is a missionary preacher, author of 12 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/

 

Scripture:

Ezekiel 33:7-9
Romans 13:8-10
Matthew 18:15-20

Reflection:

Correction & Mending Hurts

The gospels do not gloss over the human failings of the apostles. Jesus corrects and instructs them time and again. James and John, sons of Zebedee, try to stake out privileged positions in Christ’s Kingdom. They were informed this could not be granted. The rest of the twelve let their anger and scorn be known and Jesus had to instruct the whole group. "… whoever wishes to be greatest among you will be your servant." (Mk 10:43)

Another time, Peter suggests he is being big-hearted to forgive injury seven times; Jesus answered "seventy-seven times" – no limitation – so stop counting!

The Last Supper and the farewell words of Jesus are all part of a Love Banquet. But it begins with the washing of the feet – the humble approach called for in winning back to Community one who has offended.

The Lord well knew his Church, his People would have their difficulties getting along with each other. Even Paul and Banabas had a dispute concerning Mark that ended their cooperative ministry.

Corinth seethes with divisions. They pretend to follow particular leaders. And there are outright violations of justice. Paul is outraged that these Christians ignore the directive of Christ to first seek a one-on-one reconciliation, then take two or three members of the Community and try again – and then seek the help of the larger local Community! That early Church was not up to putting Christ’s directives into practice! They preferred Roman magistrates!

Neither then, nor now is it easy to end an injustice or correct a failing to live a Christian Life! To venture into what spiritual writers call "fraternal correction" demands genuine humility and courage! Acting as one’s brother’s keeper can make matters worse, it can deepen the wounds and prolong the separation. On the grand scale schisms and anti-popes have plagued not only Rome, but local churches down the centuries.

The Evangelist Matthew may have been concerned about such wounds coming to his local church and for that reason incoporated Jesus’ warnings and directives. In our day, we need to heed the words of Jesus as we find them in the Discourse on Community for our personal conduct and for our adherence to the Body of Christ, his Church.

 

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

 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 4:6b-15
Luke 6:1-5

Reflection:

Paul warns the Corinthians not to "go beyond what was written." Sounds like a teacher instructing her young students not to color outside the lines. Some might say this stifles creativity. Others would say it helps the students to concentrate, focus, and work with boundaries. Yes, too many boundaries crush the spirit. On the other side of the coin, the absence of boundaries leads to chaos.

The Corinthians have been given the Gospel message (what was written) by Paul. Now they are
listening to other preachers, some of whom are leading the community away from the truth. Paul
warms then to stay inside the lines of the Gospel message. With irony Paul points out how they
see themselves as satisfied, rich, and kingly. They have become arrogant. Rather, Paul insists,
they should be like him and the other apostles: fools on Christ’s account, weak, and in disrepute.
If they are to boast, they should boast in Christ, not in themselves. Whatever good they possess
comes from God, not from their own resources. Paul attempts to lead them to humility, a
cornerstone for anyone who seeks to build a Christian life.

Sometimes it’s good to color outside the lines. The Pharisees had strict boundaries on how to
observe the Sabbath. They criticize the disciples of Jesus for working to obtain food to eat on the
Sabbath. Jesus reminds the Pharisees that compassion is always in demand, even on the Sabbath.
Jesus allows and promotes good conduct, even on the Sabbath; the Pharisees, on the other hand
promote a judgmental spirit that is harmful to human dignity. God puts a high priority on how we
treat others and how needs are met.

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

 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Luke 5:33-39

Reflection:

Would you ever consider cutting apart a section of a new jacket and using it as a patch on an old jacket?  This seems slightly ridiculous.  Or again, would you ever consider going to a wedding and
not entering into the eating, celebrating, and rejoicing festivities?

In the gospel today we find certain religious leaders coming to ask Jesus why his disciples don’t fast and do penance. Perhaps it is one of those situations that no matter what you do, there will always be
someone to criticize you.   Jesus’ disciples don’t behave like the disciples of John the Baptist or the disciples of the Pharisees.  This certainly implies that there is a code of behavior by which a "disciple" should follow. Jesus’ answer is quite remarkable. For he doesn’t pass judgment on the question
directly.  Rather, the examples he uses make his point without explicitly being judgmental.  Who would go to a wedding banquet and fast?  Why would you cut up a new jacket simply to patch your old
jacket?  If you’re making wine, why would you go to all that work simply to put it into a wine skin which is old and worn out, knowing that it would rupture before the wine ages?  And lastly speaking of
wine, why would you want to drink new wine that hasn’t aged properly?

All of these questions leave you with a light bulb going on that says, "Oh, that makes a lot of sense!"  What Jesus is trying to do is to get people to think about their religious practices.  The Pharisees believe they know the behavior for every practice.  Yet for Jesus many of the Pharisaic practices simply are meaningless.  Jesus allows the question to be asked and then answers it with another
question thus heavily implying empty religious practices are meaningless.

  I think today’s Gospel has huge implications for us as Catholics.  For we frequently have a lot of behaviors we rarely think about.  It’s easy to go through the motions because that is what we
were taught.  We spend a lot of time with the "shoulds".  We make judgments on others simply based on their religious behaviors.  We also make judgments on ourselves which are quite burdensome and can
lead to negative energy.    But Jesus’ strategy is geared toward illuminating those who want to understand.   He never judges the person, nor does he comment on the quality of the question.  Judgment is subject to those who refuse to reflect.   Paul understands this as well as he speaks in the first reading, the letter to the Corinthians.  "The Lord is the one to judge me, so stop passing
judgment before the time of his return."  He continues to speak of how the Lord will bring to light what is hidden.   Perhaps today that bringing to light is an invitation to reflect on some of our religious practices and the meaning which they have.  If this is the case, then we are left with these two specific questions.  Are you attentive to what your religious behaviors are? And do you know why you do them?  If we choose not to reflect on this, then are we not spending energy on something
un-meaningful, a logical… what’s the purpose?

 

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:18-23
Luke 5:1-11

Reflection:

A fish story!  A faith story!  What a gift for these days of Indian Summer, as we transition from summertime to the beauty of Fall.

The crowds were pressing in on Jesus, and he resorted to a boat nearby on the lake — to best teach the large crowd.  Then Jesus directs Peter to put out into the deep waters and lower the fishing nets for a catch…  Hmmmm…

Even though we might not be fisherfolk ourselves, we can sympathize with Peter – the professional fisherman.  He knew the waters of the lake, the best times and places for fishing; it was critical for his livelihood.  Along comes Jesus the Carpenter, who tells him to go fishing in the deep water at the wrong time of the day.  Peter’s protest, "…we’ve worked hard all night long and have caught nothing…" was immediately followed by his profession of faith in Jesus: "…if you say so, at your command I’ll lower the nets."  The results:  a boatload of fish — and the call from Jesus to leave everything and follow him.

Both scripture readings remind us that God’s ways are not always our ways.  God’s wisdom is what makes the world go ‘round, and we best leave the running of the universe to God (with our cooperation!). 

Jesus invites us as well to be "fishers of people", prompting our response to say "yes" to Him, and "no" to the parts of life that move us in another direction than His Love.  How am I responding to the Lord this day?  Am I willing to "lower the nets" and say yes like those first disciples?  What is my relationship to others who have likewise received a vocational call from Jesus?

Jesus, I have my opinions and even some doubts at times, but with St. Peter I say "here I am.  Send me."

 

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

Feast of Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Luke 4:38-44

Reflection:

To take up the Cross means "I take responsibility."

Today’s Word encourges us to imitate Jesus in our daily responsibilities, no matter in which situation we find ourselves. Even when He was not actively looking for the needy, He would cross their paths, responding with prayer, curing and healing. St. Paul of Tarsus challenged a dysfunctional community with whom he was not able to work. He addressed their lack of response by remarking that, "I fed you with milk, not solid food for you were not ready for solid food." There is power in the cross, in the choice to carry the responsibility that often means suffering and sacrifice. It is "only God who gives the growth."

Today, the church remembers a saint who took up his cross in the most remarkable of ways and in the most difficult of times for the church .

In the 6th century, the Roman world surrounding the church had fallen into ruin. Rome had been sacked four times in a century. Civil administration was in a state of collapse. There was a sense of hopelessness and despair.

Gregory, belonged to a famly which had provided two previous popes to the church . He had avowed to become a civil servant in Rome. By thirty years of age he was in charge of the office of prefect of Rome.

When his father died, Gregory took the opportuntiy to put aside the concerns of the world. He turned his family’s home into a monastery, and created an additional six residences. But he did not remain in the cloister, as he was elected Pope and he assumed the leadership of Rome, as well! He had to develop a balance between his contemplative nature and his desire to make a difference in the world. This included his initiation of a commission to take the Word of God to the English, through the help of  St. Augustine.

We cannot forget that we are God’s field, God’s building for today.

 

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

 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Luke 4:16-30

Reflection:

Have you ever noticed that when you hear something over and over again you tend to stop listening and not hear it?  Frequently I find we do this with the scriptures.  And here in the first reading, when Paul is speaking to his friends in Corinth,  he reminds them that he didn’t try to trick them, nor use any kind Greek philosophical wisdom, nor was he at all eloquent.   He simply spoke of Jesus and how Jesus was crucified on a cross.    I think sometimes we hear this so much that we stop cherishing the depth of it.  For us it is not new information and therefore it is easy to dismiss in a quick, "Yes, I know that". 

Backing up for just a moment, the Greeks had strong, authoritative, influential gods and goddesses.  These deities were to be an inspiration to the people.  And the strength and influence of the deities almost implicitly suggested the people should follow with the same qualities.  So when Paul is in Athens and he begins to speak about one who was crucified, the orators of Athens laughed at him.  For why would any deity ever be crucified?  That is not a god;  certainly not according to Greek expectations. 

The events and manner of Jesus’ death are far from the way that human beings would have written the script.  And we can say the same about Jesus’ birth.   Both the Christmas and Easter stories remind us that God does things differently than we would expect.  On one level we know this.  But when it comes to day-to-day living, it frequently is hard to apply this in practice.  Today is one of those days, as we see this in the gospel.

The setting takes place in a familiar place.  Not only is it in Jesus’ home town of Nazareth, it is also in the sacred place of the town— the temple.  The people had seen Jesus there thousands of times.  They’d watched him grow up, knew his family and all kinds of things about him.  And here today as he opens the scroll and reads from the prophet Isaiah, ecstatic ears delight in hearing his eloquence and insights.  Scripture says they, "marveled at his appealing discourse".  Yet when Jesus goes just a little further, he mentions two "outsiders",  first, a widow of Zerephath and second, Naaman (2 Kings 5). What is wrong with these two?      They are both outsiders, people  who have no status.  Why would God side with anyone such as these when the Jewish people were supposed to be "the chosen race".   So on this day when Jesus begins his public ministry in Luke’s gospel, we see the people transformed from singing Jesus’ praises to taking him outside to throw him off the edge of the cliff, all in the course of six verses. 

Perhaps the lesson learned is that if we are truly called to follow Jesus,  and we say yes to following him, Jesus is going to take us where we don’t want to go.  Jesus will challenge our opinions, attitudes and actions.  He’ll continue to call us to be honest and people of integrity.  This is conversion.  It frequently is difficult.  It is a whole lot easier not to listen.  If we simply say, "Oh yea, I’ve heard that before"  it gives us an excuse simply to dismiss it and continue on with what we want to hear. 

Word of God,  speak!!!

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