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Memorial of Saints Basil the Great
and Gregory Nazianzen,
Bishops and Doctors of the Church

Scripture:

1 John 2:22-28
John 1:19-28

 

Reflection:

The Christmas seasons is a time when children are so often the focus of our attention and energies: planning, shopping, cooking, wrapping gifts, opening gifts, church activities, family visits. No wonder that there might come a moment around January 2 when we grown-ups might feel that we’ve earned a break from the juvenile and are ready for some "downtime" in front of the tv, the computer, or at a movie theatre.

It was against this backdrop that my attention was snagged by the reference at the end of today’s first reading about being "children". There are some very clear references of Jesus and of the New Testament authors to the followers of Jesus as children, or as "little ones."  On the feast of the Guardian Angels, October 2 each year, the gospel very literally has Jesus challenging his followers to become like children.

In today’s reading from 1 John, chapter 2, verse 28 begins by addressing the followers of Jesus as "children." But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; just as it taught you, remain in him. [28]And now, children, remain in him…

As though to drive home the point, the Greek word for children here (teknoi) is also the word used for the formative relationship between a mentor/teacher and his student.

This is a good thought to hold to as we start the new year, and as we are tempted to declare our best intentions for the year ahead: our proverbial "New Year’s Resolutions". Our lives are entwined with a God-made-flesh, who asks us to abide in him, to let him teach us how to grow into the full stature of a "child of God." We need only one New Year’s Resolution, it is to abide in Jesus so that we will use every moment of the year ahead to live as the son and daughter that once put on Christ in baptism, and now lives in the community of faith known as the Church of Jesus Christ.

 

Fr. Arthur Carrillo, C.P.  is the director of the Missions for Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Chicago, Illinois. 

 

 

Scripture:

Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:16-21

 

 

 

Reflection:

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

January 1 is the octave of Christmas, bringing the eight day celebration of the Lord’s nativity to a formal close.  This is also a feast that took a while to settle on its official title!  Traditionally it celebrated the circumcision of Jesus, an account from Luke’s Gospel that is still included in the Lectionary selection for this feast (Luke 2:16-21).  But Pope John XXIII, for reasons that are not so clear, decided to drop the reference to the circumcision and call the feast simply, "The Octave of Christmas."  But in the liturgical reforms of 1969 that took place after the Second Vatican Council, the Church renamed January 1 as a time to celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God and that is the title we celebrate today.

On this day a lot of things converge.  For all of us it is the beginning of a new calendar year and a time to mark another milestone on the journey of our lives.  For many in our world 2014 was a difficult year-along with the many blessings God has given us, there was the continuing violence in the Middle East intensified by the rise of militant terrorism in Syria and Iraq; the racial explosion in Ferguson, Missouri; the terrible toll on human life through the Ebola virus; the clash between Israel and Gaza, to name just a few events.  To this short list can be added many personal losses and sufferings that so many families will not forget. 

The New Year and the Scriptures of our liturgy for today invite us to turn in hope to a new year of grace.  The traditional focus of this feastday on circumcision celebrated the formal induction of Jesus, the Word Incarnate, into God’s people.  For Jewish males, circumcision was the sign of their participation in the covenant between God and Israel.  God would be their loving God forever and they would be God’s people.  We, too, circumcised or not, as followers of Jesus, "the first born," are bound up with our loving God forever.  As Paul recalled in thinking of God’s enduring covenant with his beloved Israel-"God’s promises are irrevocable" (Romans 11:39). 

The first and second readings, as well as the Responsorial Psalm, exuberantly proclaim that bond of love.  The blessing from Numbers 6:22-27 is one of the Bible’s most well-known passages: "May the Lord bless you and keep you!  The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!  The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!"  This is surely a blessing for a new and hopeful year ahead.  The Response to Psalm 67-a psalm that pleads for God’s blessing-is in the same vein: "May God bless us in his mercy!"

And in the second reading from the Letter to the Galatians, Paul gets right to the heart of the matter: "When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons and daughters of God."  Through the Spirit given to us by God, we are able to address God in the most intimate terms, "Abba, Father!"  The Hebrew word abba is an affectionate greeting that a child as well as an adult addresses to a beloved father.  One can still hear this word in the Holy Land as a child calls out to his father or a thoughtful adult son speaks respectfully and lovingly to his father.  So, Paul tells us, we can address God fearlessly with the same respect and love.

In dedicating this New Year’s day feast to Mary, the Mother of God, Pope Paul VI noted that it gives us a chance to once more contemplate the incredible beauty of Christmas and the heart of its message: "God so loved the world that he sent his only son, not to condemn the world but that they world might be saved through him" (John 3:16).  And in contemplating that breathtaking reality, we are invited to do so through the eyes of Mary, the Mother of God.  Luke notes in the gospel text that "Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart."

So, here on this New Year’s Day as the world turns to a new chapter, we, in the contemplative spirit of Mary, have the opportunity to make peace with all the events-good and bad-of the past year, to remember God’s abiding love for us–come what may, and to turn to a New Year with hope and trust.

 

Father Donald Senior, C.P. is President Emeritus and Professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological Union.  He lives at the Passionist residence in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.

 

Scripture:

1 John 2:18-21
John 1:1-18

Reflection:

"Children, it’s the final hour." (I John 2:18a)

That’s the first line of today’s Liturgy of the Word.  I can just imagine the editors of the Lectionary all sitting around a big table, worn from working into the wee hours of the morning, empty carafes of coffee and donut crumbs laying all over the place.  Some guy is asleep under the table, I’m pretty sure.  "They’ll need to be reminded that it’s the last day of the year.  Let’s use I John 2:18."

Perhaps they’re right.  Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas…  The time has raced by for me.  The Baptist’s cry of "Prepare Ye the Way" has now become "I hope you’ve prepared the way."  And now I feel a lot like I imagine those editors: weary from a long stretch of preparation and service. 

And now it’s New Year’s Eve!  Party and dance and music and eggnog (with a little extra nog, please).  Wait; where did 2014 go?  I had all these plans for things I was going to accomplish.  Where are my running shoes; I have to get in shape.  I promised 365 days ago!  Where’s my pencil; I need to finish composing that choral work on the Cross, which I started in February!  Where’s my paintbrush; the house…

But wait, there’s more.  As I sit and reflect on the past 365 days, I’m forced to ask The Question:  Did I make room for God?  Did I let Christ thrive in my heart?  Did I reach out in love and care to others?  Did I call to apologize to that person that now hates me?  Did I forgive that person that betrayed me?

Was I Jesus’ hands to those in my little part of the vineyard?

Were you?

Dear God of beginnings and endings, the Alpha and Omega, thank you for the gift of every hour, even this last one.  Please grant us the grace to let go of our regrets and failures so we may live the new dawn of tomorrow, and birth your love to the world.

Amen.

 

Paul Puccinelli is Director of Liturgy & Music at St. Rita Parish in Sierra Madre, CA, and a member  of the Retreat Team at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center.

 

Scripture:

1 John 2:12-17
Luke 2:36-40

Reflection:

In today’s gospel reading from Luke, we read about a certain prophetess named Anna.  She came upon the presentation of Jesus in the temple.  She gave thanks to God and then began to talk about the child "to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem."  Deliverance for whom?  Deliverance from what?  For those answers we have to read the rest of the gospel.

Fast-forward two thousand years.  That gospel continues to be realized among us.  Jesus comes now for our deliverance.  Deliverance from what?

He comes to deliver us from our sins, by his gift of forgiveness.  He comes to deliver us from our self-doubt, by assuring us we are beloved of His Father.  He comes to deliver us from our fear of death, for he comes as the one who died and rose.  He comes to deliver us from our confusion, by showing us how to live.  He comes to deliver us from our sadness by the joy of his presence.  Finally, he comes to deliver us from prejudice, hatred, greed and all that divides us, so that all may be one and there may be peace on this earth.

But first we have to unite ourselves with him in the temple of our hearts and present ourselves to the Father. "Into your hands, Father, we commend our spirit."  Then our hearts will grow and our wills will be strengthened. We will be filled with wisdom, and the grace of God will be upon us.

 

Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.   http://www.alanphillipcp.com/

 

Scripture:

1 John 5:14-21
John 3:22-30

Reflection:

It may be a result of being one of ten children, or it may be in the genes I inherited from my driven type-A father. Regardless of its origins, I have a competitive streak.  I want to be exceptionally good at whatever I do.  I strive for perfection, preparing endlessly and working very hard.  This is both an advantage and a nemesis.  It allows God to use me in many ways and most of the time I feel humbled and privileged to be God’s instrument.   At other times, though, my shadow side breaks through.

When that happens, I am tempted to compare myself to others in unhealthy ways.  I feel envy creeping in when someone else’s presentations or classes receive higher ratings than mine.  I find myself evaluating and critiquing liturgies, lectors, teachers, speakers, and anyone else who has a skill I also possess. I have to fight my desire to be recognized and rewarded for the work I do.  When I’m on a team, I get too impatient with people who are not working as hard as I am, and I often take over the tasks assigned to others because I want them to be done "right".  I find myself being overly critical of another’s successes.  In short (and to my profound embarrassment), I realize that I want others to decrease so I can increase.

It is too easy to forget that all my abilities were given to me from heaven, and that it is only the grace of God working through me that touches people’s hearts and changes their lives. Even when I do achieve something or am recognized for my abilities, I cannot take all the credit myself. Our gracious, loving God has given me many gifts, and God keeps placing opportunities in my lap that allow me to choose to use them. I hope I am using them well, but God is the focal point and destination, not me.  God is God, and I am clearly not.

John’s gospel today is a relevant and pointed lesson.  John had created quite a name for himself.  He achieved "success" in the eyes of the world and was recognized as a force in the society.  Yet he gladly and humbly steps aside for Jesus, whom he knows is greater than he. His followers are concerned by all the attention Jesus is getting, especially when they see people going to Jesus to be baptized instead of coming to John. Yet when John sees people flock to Jesus, he is happy and proclaims that his joy is complete.

My challenge is to counter my shadow side with John’s gospel.  As it so aptly reminds me, God is the source of everything I have, everyone I love, and everything I own.  Nothing I have and nothing I have done would be possible without God.   In this new year, may I be even more aware that in all I do, I am an instrument of Someone bigger than myself. God must increase and I must decrease.  It is only in that way that my joy may become complete.

 

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:
John 2:3-11
Luke 2:22-35

Reflection:
Today the words of John are strong and clear.  "Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.  Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.  Whoever hates his brother is in darkness."

It doesn’t get any more honest or clear; however "honest and clear" does not mean easy.

Today the signs of the times are colored by division and strife.  We live in a world which challenges our ideas around how we should treat our fellow human beings, even when we disagree with them.  When I watch the news I find my own feelings of anger rising and I quickly judge others and their actions.  The compassion which should be in my heart as a member of the Passionist family, a Christian and a human melts from the light  into darkness.  Perhaps this is a good time for me to remember the words I have agreed to from the International Charter for Compassion.

"We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world.  Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries.  Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity.  It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community."  I pray as Simeon in today’s gospel:

"Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen your salvation…a light to reveal you to the nations."

If I walk in compassion, I walk in the light.

Terry McDevitt, Ph.D. is a member of our Passionist Family who volunteers at the Passionist Assisted Living Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Feast of Saint John the Evangelist

Scripture:

1 John 1:1-4
John 20:1a, 2-8

Reflection:

When I was pastor, I soon recognized a pattern; in fact, there was almost a rhythm – every Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or Spring Break, it seemed I was talking with fearful and frustrated parents… for one of their children in college would be home for the break, or on vacation, and dramatically announce to parents that s/he no longer believed in God. They decided they were atheists. The fear and frustration – almost desperation –  in the parents’ voice was palpable.

I remember one appointment in particular. A mom spoke of her daughter, lamenting, "It’s not so much that she rejects Catholic doctrine or ritual; in fact, it’s not even a theological issue, it’s a philosophical one. My concern is that she has set herself up as the authority, limiting all of reality to merely what she can perceive, or comprehend."

My first response was usually an attempt to console them in their anxiety. But part of the conversation would also include a question: "Why do you feel that university, even a Catholic college, should insulate or protect your child from these deeper questions?"

The Octave of Christmas thrusts us into these deeper questions, offering several liturgical challenges… the celebration of several martyrs in the shadow of the manger in Bethlehem, and in today’s Gospel, we ponder a resurrection narrative! This life and death theme saturates today’s feast of John the Evangelist. It is a call to authenticity, the real. Proof is in the pudding.

Jesuit Fr. William O’Malley says (Help My Unbelief, Obis Books, 2008), "Scientists work from consequences to probable causes. So should seekers for human meaning. They corroborate their inferences with experience. So should those who seek God. Modern biology has improved health care and life expectancy. One would hope belief in God would produce a recognizable enrichment of human life. Jesus himself said, "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:16).

What we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  (1 John 1:3)

Perhaps our task today is not so much to proselytize (trying to persuade others to believe) but to evangelize (gently and tenderly narrating why we believe). And I know how powerful is the witness of so many good and loving parents, proclaiming the Jesus Christ they have seen and heard and experienced.

 

Fr. Jack Conley, C.P. is the director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness.  He is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Feast of Saint Stephen the Martyr

Scripture:

Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59
Matthew 10:17-22

Reflection:

It’s not often I reflect on the responsorial psalm in the daily readings.  The gospel stories seem much more compelling to me, and the stories invite me to be present to what Jesus is doing, or what the disciples are saying, or how the blind and lame are healed.

But today, the psalm response is very tender: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Clearly the response can be applied to today’s feast, St. Stephen the Martyr.  The feast always seems a bit of a downer following the day after Christmas.  But that’s another reflection.

The response today elicits for me the very tender image of Jesus being held by his mother and his father.  I imagine, like happened in our family when a newborn came home, that the baby gets passed around.  The shepherds come forward with arms outstretched wanting to hold the child.  Who can resist?  Who does not find something profoundly moving about holding such a small person whose only role right now is to be there with you?  That child brings out in us a profound sense of awe and responsibility.

Into your hands…  Jesus is placed into our hands.  He is entrusted to us.  His life and his mission are given to us.  We are called to protect and care for him and his mission.  We cannot possess him or cuddle him forever.  Our responsibility is to nurture that life of Jesus given to us, and then to pass him on so that others may hold him and know him and love him.

We have been given the most amazing gift in the birth of Jesus, and he has been placed in our hands.  Let’s take a moment in quiet prayer to imagine the Baby Jesus being placed into our hands by Mary.  What does she say to you?  Are you nervous?  Are you giddy?   What do you say to the child you hold?  To whom do you pass the child?  Simply be there in that moment.  There’s nothing more important you have to do now but hold that child.

 

Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and is the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.