wpengine

Scripture:

Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28
Matthew 25:31-46

Reflection:

As I write this, many in the U.S. are waiting to see what will happen in Ferguson, MO, when a grand jury decides if a police officer should be tried for the killing of a young black man, Michael Brown. A column on the Detroit Free Press editorial page (November 18) states, unsurprisingly, that people’s opinions about what will happen and what should happen depend a lot on race.

As I have been reflecting on this, what has come to me is a realization hat our courts, even at their best, are limited in what they can achieve. Even when they do what they should do, they can’t by themselves bring about the real peace we’re looking for. That requires a change of heart.

As people of faith, we look to God to lead us to that conversion. Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. Our Scripture readings point to the time when the kingdom of God will be brought to fulfillment. In our second reading from 1 Corinthians, St. Paul writes: "For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." Oh, do we not yearn for the time when Jesus will relieve us of every "sovereignty," every desire to lord it over others, every delusion that we can live in isolation from each other and from the rest of creation, every prejudice and bigotry, every inclination to use others for our own gratification!

Part of letting Jesus in to lead us to that change is to take action. Jesus tells us what to do in our Gospel reading. Jesus gives us an image of the final judgment when people are judged by how they act on their faith; how they treat "one of these least ones." Those in need or on the margins are not "least" in God’s eyes. Jesus tells us that when we help them we are helping Him!

Are we willing to reach out to the "least?" Are we willing to listen and learn from them? Are we willing to consider "them" as part of "us?" We need to join the ranks of people doing just that. To me, part of the tragedy of what has happened not only in Ferguson, but in communities around the country is that, as connected as we are by technology, there are so many levels on which we don’t know or understand each other at all.

May we serve our King by serving others. May we follow Him to peace and justice and conversion of heart.

 

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P. is on staff at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan. 

 

Scripture:

Revelation 4:1-11
Luke 19:11-28

Reflection:

"Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards." Revelation 4:1

The two readings for today’s Mass sent me to the Internet to refresh my memory on "Literary Devices." One website said: "Commonly, the term Literary Devices refers to the typical structures used by writers in their works to convey his or her message(s) in a simple manner to his or her readers. When employed properly, the different literary devices help readers to appreciate, interpret and analyze a literary work."

The Literary Device that John uses in the first reading failed to make me "appreciate, interpret and analyze" this text. It failed to make it easier for me to understand. I had to sit with it for a while in order to make some sense of it. I still don’t know if I am in the right track. I got distracted with all of the imagery that John describes in his "vision." The instruction by the trumpet-like voice was quickly forgotten: "Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards." Images such as thrones, elders with golden crows, flaming torches and four living creatures did not do much for my appreciation of this Literary Device. It was not until I reread the last part of the reading that I began realize what John might be telling me. We will find our ultimate expression and fulfillment in the Worship of God. There will be no greater desire or joy that we can have in the future than to Worship God! This is our ultimate future.

The Gospel offers us another Literary Device: a parable. I didn’t have much difficulty in figuring out the meaning of this parable. I am sure that the people who were following Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem didn’t have much problem with it either, especially the religious leaders. These leaders had already begun to conspire against Jesus, trying to find a way as to how they could put him to death. So when Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God is like this nobleman who goes on a journey, and leaves his servants with gold pieces, they quick understand that Jesus is speaking about himself as the nobleman. When Jesus continues and says that "his fellow citizens despised him," and they sent a delegation to stop him from returning, they know that Jesus is talking about them. So, at the end of the parable, Jesus lets them know that it is not going to go well with them. We are either faithful to the graces that God gives us or we reject them.

As we end the Liturgical year, the Mass readings will continue to remind us of two things: first, God is our ultimate fulfillment and second, our path to God is through God’s Son, Jesus. Those who worship other "gods," whether it is power or money or status, will never find ultimate fulfillment in God. And those who reject Jesus and the Gospel he came proclaiming will also fail to find the God of Life and Love.

May we love God with our whole heart, mind and soul and our neighbor as ourselves!

 

Fr. Clemente Barrón, C.P. is a member of Immaculate Conception Community in Chicago, Illinois. 

 

Scripture:

Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5
Luke 18:35-43

Reflection:

For the next several weeks we will have readings from this strange and unique book called Revelation, or in Greek, Apocalypse. It abounds in unfamiliar and extravagant symbolism. Its author is a persecuted Christian leader by the name of John, exiled to the rocky island of Patmos. His claim is that he is a servant of the Lord. Today most scholars because of vocabulary, grammar, and style do not think he was the writer of the Gospel of John. The best opinion is that the book was composed about 95 AD during the reign of the Emperor Domitian who enforced the requirement that everyone in the Roman Empire annually offer incense to his statue to recognize his divinity. Faithful Christian refused and suffered the consequences.

The book was written to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia and the author expected it to be read aloud, listened to, and heeded. Gatherings for Eucharist always began with readings. The writer immediately engages his hearers with an individual letter to each community. He begins with Ephesus. This city was the New York of its day: a busy port, the gateway to the interior, cosmopolitan and the largest most prosperous city of the province. Its Christian community was founded by Apostle Paul, who spent more time there than in any other community.

We see how well Paul had planted the seed. The community has endured suffering for the name of Jesus and had not grown weary. They kept the faith by rejecting false apostles. We might think that everything is fine, but they are told "you have lost the love you first had. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent. "

I wonder what their reaction was when they heard this accusation. Can the Lord say this to me as well? Can the Lord say it to you? How easy it is for the routine and obligations of life wear down the enthusiasm with which we first embraced the Lord. Ask any married couple the same question about their marriage. Are we blind to the true state of our relationship with others and so with the Lord? Outwardly we might be doing all the right things, but where is our heart? Like the blind man in our gospel reading let us cry out "Lord, please let me see."        

 

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

 

 

Scripture:

Revelations 11:4 – 12
Luke 20:27 – 40

Reflection:

How often have we heard or even participated in conversations which include something of the following:  "I try not to watch the news anymore.  I don’t get the newspaper anymore.  I avoid people who spend all their time telling me all about what is wrong with the world, with life, with religion, with people.  Everywhere we look and everything we hear tells us about the evil around us and how completely messed up the world and life is."  At first blush, it can be difficult to argue with that thought but the question should arise, "Who said it would be any different than this?  Who said there would be such an emergence of good that evil would be eliminated from our world?"

The Book of Revelation certainly did not promise a world without evil.  As a matter of fact, today’s reading makes it clear evil will continue to exist alongside the good in our world.  This part of the Book of Revelation is very difficult to grab hold of.  The two witnesses are Elijah who caused a great drought and Moses who turned the Nile River water into blood.  These two represent the Church who preaches the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets or in New Testament terms – the Gospel.  The Church will continue to be persecuted throughout history.  Evil will win battles from time to time but the Gospel, the Risen Lord, is ultimately triumphant leading to fullness of life in the Resurrection as described in today’s gospel.

For us, it means we who are dedicated to doing good will have to contend with evil all along the journey of life.  In the name of the Lord Jesus, we choose to expand goodness, displace and conquer evil by our love and goodness, and so help to build the kingdom in this world on the way to its fullness in the next.  It is this continuing battle against evil in the world that inspired some of our traditional ideas attached to our reception of the sacraments of initiation.  We are anointed with the oil of salvation, sacred chrism, during holy baptism.  The anointing with chrism during Confirmation harkens back to our baptismal anointing reminding us of the ancient practice of anointing athletes for the contest ahead.  They prepared to do battle by anointing themselves with oil before entering the fray.  Just so, we considered ourselves "soldiers of Christ" once anointed in Confirmation, ready to enter the fray.    All of us share this mission of the Gospel in the world – to do battle against evil and so advance goodness all around us.  This battle need not be momentous enterprises.  Much more important are the regular, small, day by day choices we make for goodness, for expressing love and compassion, for living a life of caring for family, friends, neighbors and fellow parishioners.  We have been anointed for the continuing battle.  Are we ready to choose goodness each and every day?

 

Fr. Richard Burke, CP, is a member of St. Paul of the Cross Province and also serves on the Provincial Council of Holy Cross Province.  He lives at St. Ann’s Monastery in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

 

Scripture:
Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22
Luke 19:1-10

Reflection:
Sometimes our actions indicate one thing on the surface, but in fact betray a much deeper desire and longing – one we think is masked and well hidden. But while we think that our true motives are hidden, others can in fact see only too well what our true intent is.

The interaction between Zaccheus and Jesus seems to exemplify this dynamic quite well in today’s gospel reading.

By his public action (climbing a tree) Zaccheus seems to indicate he merely wants to satisfy his curiosity and ‘see’ Jesus; he is intrigued and wonders what this man is like. Perhaps in public Zaccheus can pretend that it is mere curiosity that drives him to climb the tree and that he exercises this amount of energy and enthusiasm solely because he is short in stature. At least this is a public face he can show – it does not reveal too much of his inner world and he can easily account for his actions by virtue of  his lack of height.

But clearly there is more at work in Zaccheus.

This becomes obvious when Jesus seeks him out and makes the extraordinary request to stay at his house! Symbolically Jesus asks to come ‘inside’ to enter into the home and thus personal life of Zaccheus.

The response of Zaccheus reveals much to us (and perhaps to himself too) in that it goes far beyond what someone merely seeking to ‘see’ what this man Jesus is like might reply.

That is, just at Jesus makes an extraordinary request to Zaccheus, so too Zaccheus makes an extraordinary response. He allows an inner, deeper spirit to exercise influence over him and he speaks from his heart. In a sense we hear a dialogue of heart speaking to heart. Jesus sees through Zaccheus’ actions to his deeper need, Zaccheus responds to such warmth and recognition by allowing his deeper aspirations – for belonging, for truth and honest and for renewal – to surface and he too speak from his heart to welcome Jesus.

Perhaps this is the essence of the gospel text that we might observe today and seek to make our own.

In this gospel as so often in life, Jesus speaks to us of his desire to ‘be’ with us, to make his home within us. This in turn can free us to allow our deeper desires for him to surface and we can dare to welcome him more deeply into our own lives. But the presence of Jesus sot us is not merely a passive one, no his grace at work within us can motive and empower us to try to recreate our lives once more for him.

Perhaps too Zaccheus can be a symbol of so many people in our world today who are aware of Jesus and indeed fascinated by him but their interest goes no deeper. They ‘know of’ him, but their interest stays at the intellectual level.

Let us not be mere observers.  The deeper and more important symbolism of the character of Zaccheus is to take up the challenge that his actions reveal to us. Let us  be the ones who welcome Jesus into our inner world, our home and allow him to dwell there.

For every day, for those who listen, the words of Jesus echo and re-echo "I must stay at your house today.."

 

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is a member of Holy Spirit Province, Australia.  He currently serves on the General Council and is stationed in Rome.

 

Scripture:

Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Matthew 25:31-46

Reflection:

This scripture passage is the only Judgment scene in the four gospels.

What is surprising is that the focus is not about Christ, Forgiveness, Justification, or sin.  It is about the care of the needy.

Self-giving and service to the poor is the hermetical key to doing the will of God.  The students of comparative religion assert that the great contribution of Jesus to religion is that He made service of one’s neighbor intimately connected to worship of  God. 

Matthew’s Judgment Scene is not off in the future.  It is in the here and now life of the disciples of Jesus.  It has been observed that the six categories articulated in this passage are identical to the Corporal Works of Mercy.  So one can surmise from this if we want to know the best way to be a disciple of Jesus, it would be to practice the Corporate Works of Mercy:  Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, cloth the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead.

Matthew’s Judgment Scene says that Christ is present in the world.  Christ is present in all of humanity.  Christ is most present in poor and destitute of the world. Christ not only singles out the poor and destitute as objects of special attention and solicitation, but He identifies with them.  To serve one’s neighbor is to serve God.

God is less impressed by what we do for God, than what we do for each other.  The vocation of the Church, its highest and essential call is to serve humanity in all its needs. This means the Church needs to combat Bigotry, Diseases, Injustices, Ignorance, Illiteracy, Racism, all that stifles life for the body or spirit.

 

Fr. Ken O’Malley, C.P., is the local superior at Holy Name Passionist Community in Houston, Texas.

 

 

Scripture:

2 John 4-9
Luke 17:26-37

 

 

 

Reflection:

"Be Faithful to God
in and through Difficult Times"

Today we hear about "walking in the truth" of the Gospel, which commands us to "love one another" and to acknowledge in the Incarnate Jesus Christ the abiding, saving love of God for those "who follow the law of the Lord" and "seek him with all their heart." For the days will come, as in Noah and Lot’s time, unbelieving and self-destructing generations will seek "to preserve" themselves by choosing "not to remain in the teaching" of Jesus Christ and the love of God and neighbor.  But blessed are we and Christians of all times, who have believed in the promises of God’s reign and the world to come without end, if we "do not lose what we worked for but [rather] receive a full recompense."

How appropriate and hopeful it is to hear such stimulating words from today’s scripture readings on a day in which we commemorate the 23^rd anniversary of the martyrdom of the six Jesuit priests and their two female companions who were killed at the University of Central America in El Salvador in 1989.   It is indeed encouraging to know that these Jesuit martyrs (Segundo Montes, Ignacio Martin Baro, Juan Ramon Moreno, Armando Lopez, Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, Elba and Celina Ramos, and Ignacio Ellacuria) were not afraid of giving their lives out of love for God and their socially oppressed brothers and sisters. Their nonviolent resistance to war and systemic injustice still speaks clear and loudly against "the deceitful one and the antichrist," that is, the sociopolitical evils and economic injustice that dehumanize our world.  No wonder Ellacuria, the university president, used to say that "the purpose of the Jesuit University in El Salvador is to promote the reign of God.  But you can’t be for the reign of God unless you are also publicly and actively against the anti-reign" (John Dear, S.J., "Remembering the Jesuit Martyrs," National Catholic Reporter, November 16, 2009).

The Jesuit Martyrs are thus blessed, for their dedicated work to the preservation of peace, justice, and integrity of creation has received a full recompense in their people’s remembering of their prophetic witness and voices.  They have certainly risen in the Salvadoran people and all peoples who believe in the gospel values of freedom, peace, and justice, and the virtues of faith, hope, and love.  We are therefore invited to reflect on the prophetic lives and witness of these Saints of our time and examine how well we have loved one another and walked in the truth of God’s commandments.   

 

Fr. Alfredo Ocampo, C.P., is the student formation director.  He is stationed at St. Vincent Strambi
Community in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

3 John 5-8
Luke 18:1-8

Reflection:

It is not often that a private one page letter from the first century AD is preserved and recognized as inspired and worthy to be in our New Testament.  Such is this letter to the unknown Gaius who is addressed as "beloved".  The author is "the elder".  "Elder" is the official title for person who has charge of a local church.

The more things change maybe they are the same for the question is hospitality and support for wandering missionaries.  In this sense they are "strangers" to Gaius and will only stay for a time before they resume their missionary journey which they have undertaken "for the sake of the Name". They are freely announcing Jesus to the pagans and should be financially supported by the Christian community. Aren’t we still doing this today as we support the Propagation of the Faith on World Mission Sunday?  In this way aren’t we, as Gaius was, "co-workers in the truth".  But the challenge is deeper than financial support for evangelization. Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium (#20) puts it this way: "Each Christian and every community mist discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the "peripheries" in need of the light of the gospel".  And so this simple letter opens the challenge of our own missionary call to spread the gospel in every time and place.

 

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