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Scripture:

Titus 3:1-7
Luke 17:11-19

Reflection:

It might have been the wondrous and joyful reality and gift of being healed, at last, from leprosy that distracted "the other nine" from returning to Jesus to thank him. The greatest gift we receive can be a source of weakness. Our meditation today has us focus on that which God has entrusted to each of us – our particular "gifts" and talents utilized in our marriages, our families (extended), our religious communities and the places where we hold responsibilities. God’s finest gifts – life, strength, the ability to think imaginatively and to act creatively – easily become the means by which we not only forget God but also turn against God an against our neighbors and even our own family. At the offertory of the Mass I remind people that in the bread and wine we place all that we are. And just as Jesus surrenders Himself to us, I surrender in selflessness those gifts for the benefit of others and not myself. I am happy and proud of the gifts entrusted to me. But I keep in mind that "when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, Christ Jesus saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:6)

 

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

Scripture:

Philemon 7-20
Luke 17:20-25

Reflection:

Though St. Paul’s letter to Philemon consists of only twenty-five verses it touches on the core of his Gospel message. We are presented with a unique insight into the world of a Roman household as they wrestle with the status quo of the time, in terms of slavery, through the lens of Christianity. In this letter Paul is not afraid to use his Gospel capital in addressing the complex situation.  Onesimus was a slave in the household of Philemon and is thought to be a runaway at the very least. Roman law requires a slave to be returned to their owner.  Weaved through this story and presented by way of invitation are the opportunities to forgive; to be forgiven; to ask for mercy; to show mercy; to love.  There are echoes of Paul’s letter to the Galatians (3:28) where he states clearly the concept of equality in-Christ for all. We are left guessing about Philemon’s response and wonder what decision might we have made? Slavery may not be what we deal with today yet, do we trap people in their past with our attitudes? Is Jesus asking me to be open to the person(s) whom he re-sends into my life? Might they be "his own heart"?

In Luke’s Gospel, this text containing apocalyptic language is unusual.  It’s as if it doesn’t fit-so it gets our attention. Perhaps, this is Luke’s purpose-Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. We hear from Jesus’ response that the Kingdom of God cannot be found in any one place but rather it is among us-even within us.

Jesus reminds us that the Son of Man will come only after he suffers. Jesus suffered-to set the captives free.  Embedded in this text is the message of perseverance and hope amidst suffering. The Son of Man may not be found but the Kingdom of God is with us, so we do not listen to voices which may pull us away from our walk with God.

 

Jean Bowler is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, and a member of the Office of Mission Effectiveness Board of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Titus 2:1-8, 11-14
Luke 17:7-10

Reflection:

Doesn’t this gospel passage just rub you the wrong way?  It violates our American value system.  This is not the way to treat workers.  When someone has worked faithfully and hard, they should be given a nice bonus, or a promotion, or a letter of commendation to be placed in their personnel file, or at the very least a pat on the back and compliment for work well done.  Praise, too, can be important to us.  Mark Twain is on the money when he says "I can live for two months on a compliment."

After all, the servant in this gospel has been working hard in the field since before dawn, plowing, tending the sheep, and numerous other chores.  This has been a long day of back-breaking work in the hot sun.  The brow is sweaty, feet are sore, muscles aching and the stomach growling.  But now it’s getting toward sunset.  It’s time to return to the house.  No doubt the master will be pleased.  He’ll greet the returning worker, unlace the servant’s worn sandals and put soft slippers on those tired feet.  The master will have the table set with a delicious hot meal.  In my case, that would be hot dogs, chili beans and a root beer float.  Anyway, the master would say "take a seat while I serve you."

Wrong.  The master does greet the returning worker, but it’s with an apron and the words: "get to work; can’t you see I’m hungry."  Not a single word of praise or appreciation.

On a Sunday Mass several weeks ago, I preached the homily at my parish church.  After I concluded, something unexpected happened.  The congregation broke into applause.  In all my diaconate ministry, this has never happened before.  Needless to say, I was startled by this reaction, being more accustomed to the occasional snoring.  I shared this experience with my wife, Chela, who served as a Eucharistic Minister at an earlier Mass.  I thought she would congratulate me on an outstanding homily and want to hear me repeat it her — a kind of reprise.  Instead, she said "That’s nice.  But don’t let it go to your head.  You’re supposed to give good homilies."  Where is Mark Twain when I need him?  I think Chela may have had this gospel passage in mind.  Or, more likely, as a wife and mother, she knows what it’s like to work during the day, then come home and prepare dinner for a hungry family.  In either case, she was closer to the spirit of this passage than I was.

What Jesus is telling us is that we can never put God in our debt; we can never have any claim on him.  When we have done our best, we have only done what we are supposed to do.  We serve the Lord because this is what it means to follow him as a disciple.  There’s work to be done, urgent human needs to be met.  And there is no time for applause.

 

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

 

The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Scripture:

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17
John 2:13-22

Reflection:

You may be lucky enough to have a special place to go where you can recharge, relax, and be deeply at peace.  It might be a building or room in a building, a particular path through the woods; a place of special activity or a place of no activity.

When Israel was in exile in the land of Babylon we hear through the Book of Ezekiel of such a place.  Israel’s hearts longed to be in the courtyards of the Lord, and their harps hung silent because they could not process singing to the dwelling place of the Lord. But Ezekiel says that Israel is in exile now, they have been unfaithful.  Just as well because God has packed up and left the temple!  What were their feelings when they heard the place they longed to be was no longer to be their special place?  Ezekiel gives hope in our reading today; there will be a new temple in a new Jerusalem.  From it will flow a life-giving water; it will cause the trees to bear abundant fruit, and their leaves will even serve as healing medicine. A new favorite place is promised to Israel.

We come to the temple with Jesus, but something is wrong.  Zeal for the House of God makes Jesus disrupt what is going on there.  The signs that Jesus gives in the Gospel of John are always important, and Jesus when asked, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" gives the temple as a sign.  Jesus will replace the physical temple and its special place in the heart of Israel with himself.  He will be the special place and center of the spiritual life of his people.

On the feast of the Dedication of the Church of Saint John Lateran, all are invited to stand together in the Cathedral of Rome, the Church of Pope Francis.  It is a venerable building, given to the Pope by Constantine and consecrated in 324, shortly after Christianity was legalized.  Now we can claim this as one of our special places. While not a place we can stop in to rest a bit on a busy day, it is spiritually a place of welcome and peace.  And, it is a place whose doors open outward into the world of daily life, sending us forth to be other Christs in our world.

If we want to find a sacred spot in the Church of Saint John Lateran, it may be the Baptismal Font.  How many ‘little fishes’ learned to swim and have come to life in its waters?  This sacred spot bears the inscription: "There is no barrier between those who are reborn and made one by the one font, the one Spirit, and the one faith…"

Today we are invited to come to a place good for our spirit, a place that also challenges Christians.  The Bishop of this Church, Pope Francis, sees the waters of his church flowing into the world, and calls us to listen to the flow of the Holy Spirit; to show the presence of Christ among us in the works of charity, and in the gift we share that makes us one – our faith.

 

Fr. William Murphy, CP is the pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Jamaica, New York.

 

Scripture:

Philippians 4:10-19
Luke 16:9-15

Reflection:

No servant can serve two masters…

Reading this gospel verse, I think of a Christmas in the early days of my marriage.  With a baby in diapers, another on the way and two families used to celebrating the Nativity with large gatherings, it was quite a time.  The days before Christmas were frenzied but nothing like Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  As soon as my husband got home from work on December 24^th, we bundled everything in the car and rushed to my in-laws for Christmas Eve Dinner and the traditional "see the lights" drive; then back to their home for a gift exchange, then stop by my parents for a late night Christmas dessert.  Back home, we got the baby’s gifts and Christmas stocking ready in anticipation of our early morning  Christmas.  Getting up at 5 or so, we finished last minute preparations, dressed up the baby and ourselves and headed off to Mass.  Then it was a quick Christmas breakfast and gift exchange before loading up the car again in order to arrive at my parents for a big family celebration.  And of course, being young and foolish, we had also invited friends to join us for a late night Christmas gathering back at our home.   In today’s world, this type of scenario is all too common.  Working parents have to juggle careers and families- school, sports, and other activities with time together. 

And so it is with our Faith.  It is our intention to be devout Catholics, to spend time in prayer and reading scripture, and keeping up with Christian authors.  But along the way, we find that we have to work a few extra hours, help the kids with homework, drive to a sports event, fix dinner, go shopping and on and on and on.  So what do you think?  Are we so involved in the details of everyday life that we are neglecting our Faith?   Are we serving two masters?  I think not.

Jesus is telling us is that we should serve one master, God.  But how we serve God can well be in the details of day to day living.  If our goals are wrapped up in achieving power or money or accumulation of more and more material things, we are serving the wrong master.  However, if when we go to work, or school, or do chores, we do these with the thought that all we do is to give honor and glory to God and because we believe this is God’s will, then we are serving the right Master – no matter how many activities we take part in over Christmas!

 

Mary Lou Butler is a long-time friend and partner in ministry to the Passionists in California.

Scripture:
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 16:1-8

Reflection:
I am bombarded on a daily basis, as I suppose you are, with requests to sign this petition, to call my congressional representative or to stop shopping here or there in retaliation for something "wrong" another person or company has done.

In today’s scripture we read about a steward – someone who is charged with taking care of another’s property to answer for what he has been up to. He doesn’t fare too well-I suspect about as well as I would, were I asked the same question today. I love his thinking when he realizes he’s not done well and is about to lose his position: "What shall I do now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg." (LK 16: 3)

A friend of mine who once had a prominent position in the advertising world, today is driving a limousine albeit for a prestigious livery company, one that most of us will never hear of or have reason to hire. He tells stories of his passengers, many very successful in the eyes of the world. He often meets these people at O’Hare Airport and drives them to the back doors of prestigious venues in Chicago like the Standard Club or the Union League Club. He seems to have adjusted well to his "demotion".

Now my friend could be resentful and full of anger against his situation. He isn’t, or at least I’ve never heard him bicker against the system or his life. He seems to have accepted the times and answered for himself, the question presented by the steward in our reading today.

I wonder what would happen if I spent as much time examining my own behavior rather than following the advice I receive about condemning this person or stopping that one? I think I’ll spend more time in my daily examination of conscience and less time opening revengeful emails.

 

Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists.  He lives in Chicago.  

Scripture:

Philippians 2:12-18
Luke 14:25-33

Reflection:

Honestly, when it comes to our spiritual lives, I don’t believe in reward theory.  I don’t believe God rewards me for things because I have done righteous deeds or good things.  Yet I have met people who act as if God owes them certain benefits because they have done three unselfish acts. 

A buddy of mine and I block an hour or so aside every month to sit, have a beer, and some nachos. While there is never a set agenda to our conversation, it always turns into a spirited discussion of what God is doing in our lives and how we are personally responding to it.  Last week I brought up the topic of reward theory and my absolute inability to explain why I am so blessed to have some of these incredible experiences which have filled my life, especially over the past four months. Now my friend is a wise father and an absolute amazing dad.  And the line between fatherhood and the fatherhood of God is very, very thin for him.  And his comments are filled with wisdom.

 "You know," he said to me, "I like doing things for my sons.  I like giving them experiences.  They don’t need any more stuff, and so I don’t give them more material things.  I don’t reward them for their achievements.    There are a certain expectations they need to reach academically, but I like giving them opportunities and experiences.   I make sure I schedule "Dad" time with all of my sons.  Some occasions they just look at me and question, "Dad, why did you bring me here?"   And I’ll assure them, just trust me and roll with it.  Other times, they just light up because they get it and it’s so amazing for them."   OK, I get that.  That makes a lot of sense.  It’s not about a God who rewards us for doing good.  It’s more about how we are expected to do good and God certainly does delight in giving us some extraordinary experiences. So what does this have to do with the readings today?

The Gospel is a serious question.  What is the cost of discipleship?  Do we calculate the cost before signing up?  For Luke’s community, the cost of discipleship is your entire life.  Luke is calling forth a seriousness that you can’t just dip your toe in the water, testing it to see if you may want a little more.  Jesus lists three different situations: family, possessions and of course the cross.  He clearly states that discipleship means a new relationship with each of these.   For most of us, giving up our entire life is not something we are willing to do.  We start with one percent or even three percent.    For Luke, you can’t start small.  You calculate the cost beforehand.  It is either all or nothing.  You know what it is going to cost you going in.  Yet the great surprise that we have never calculated into the equation is the Paschal Mystery.  There is something about dying and rising that suddenly we begin doing the things we previously didn’t want to do and now there is a whole lot of joy in it.  In the first reading, Paul explains, "For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work."  Luke’s experience tells him that the joy he is receiving is not because he did good.  It’s not about reward.  Through dying and rising Christ dwells within us, and we are eternally different. 

When I was a child, my mom would use rewards to get me to do the things I didn’t want to do.  Now as I get older, I see how God, for his good purpose, works in us to both desire the good and to work for it.  And suddenly the surrender of my whole life is a lot easier than trying to hold on to a percentage of it.

 

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Louisville, Kentucky.

 

Scripture:

Philippians 3:3-8a
Luke 15:1-10

Reflection:

If you lost a coin, would you spend time searching for it? If you lost one sheep out of one hundred, would you lose sight of the ninety-nine in order to search for the one? How much effort or time would you put into searching for a coin or one sheep? Not much most likely. I still have nine coins or ninety-nine sheep. A ten percent or one percent loss isn’t too bad. My time and effort are worth more than the loss. Too many other important goings-on to handle. "Cut your losses," move forward and learn from the situation so it doesn’t happen again.

Fortunately, our God doesn’t make decisions based on whether it is going to take too much time or require too much effort. God doesn’t figure out the cost or inconvenience. God is like a shepherd who, when he notices one sheep is missing, automatically goes in search of the straying sheep. And how long will God search? The answer is, "until he finds it" (Luke 15:4). When the shepherd finds the lost sheep, he carries it home. The sheep is supported on the shoulders of the shepherd and is not left to wander home on its own.

In these stories, and the next one about the Prodigal Son, we have a picture of God’s attitude towards the sinner, which is very different from that of the Pharisee. The rabbis had a saying that there is rejoicing in heaven when one who has sinned against God is destroyed. Jesus, with these two parables today, teaches us that to God, the work of destruction is a strange work. That in which God rejoices and all heaven delights is finding a soul who is lost and bringing that individual home.

To know the heart of our God is a blessing. Through these simple stories of a lost sheep and a lost coin, we are reminded by Jesus of the care and attention God gives us, demonstrating the value that God sets upon us and the love which God bears towards us.

 

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