wpengine

Scripture:

Romans 3:21-30
Luke 11:47-54

Reflection:

Wondrous deeds have been done by the Lord to us and in front of us. What else will it take for us to be strong in our faith and open ourselves up to a spiritual transformation?

In the readings for today, we hear that all people have been justified in faith by the grace and mercy of God. Equally. We are all sinners but have been redeemed by Jesus Christ. Who are we to judge one another? In the end we will be judged on the basis of faith. Today, our faith is countercultural, drawing us away from our faith rather than towards God. Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm! Isaiah 7:9.  We come from a culture of convenience; we can get anything we want at any time of the day. Life, which includes our faith, should be as easy and happy as possible. If we start to view the trends of today as truth, what will come of us? If we dread, fear, or hate, what is inconvenient how we will ever become closer to God? We cannot expect something so glorious to be easily attainable, but have faith through the sufferings we incur along the way. It is through these sufferings that we are able to experience true peace and the love of God here on earth.

"Do not be disturbed by the passing trials you are going through, since you must know that similar trials will come often. Our divine Savior visits those servants who are dear to him and purifies them with trails to develop their fidelity" – St. Paul of the Cross. 

God graces us with His presence in our daily lives in order to transform us by His love and mercy into what He has planned for us. God places on our hearts his Word and Will for our lives. When we open ourselves up to this possibility and begin to live in faith, we realize that it is the only possibility and wish to be transformed. Why would we want to do anything else? We should be increasing in faith, good deeds and love. We have free will and can make the active choice to open our lives to the will of God, or to turn down the wide and easy path. In what way will you choose to seek His will today?

"I seek nothing else, I long for nothing else…save in all things to be transformed by love in the divine will…" – St. Paul of the Cross

Kim Valdez is a Pastoral Associate at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

Romans 2:1-11
Luke 11:42-46

Reflection:

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, the second-century Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher wrote on his Meditations: "Look beneath the surface; let not the several qualities of a thing nor its worth escape thee."  Such a philosophical statement expands the theological meaning of today’s scripture readings, which advise us against the superficiality of a self-righteous attitude that could make us "hold [God’s] priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would lead [us] to repentance."  We are indeed advised against a hypocritical behavior that could compromise our life-giving relationship with God and the church by simply judging "those who engage in such things and yet do them [ourselves]," just as the Pharisees and the scholars of the law did it and thus subjected themselves to the inescapable woes of Jesus.   

The Pharisees and the scholars of the law had indeed overlooked the priceless meaning and purpose of the law and the prophets, which Jesus did not abolish but fulfilled by affirming them in their God-given meaning and purpose of kindness, forbearance, patience, and above all mercy and forgiveness.  It was for all these graces that God gave us the Law and the Prophets, so that they could lead us to repentance and conversion and thus help us find our redemption and salvation in Our Lord Jesus Christ.  No wonder Jesus admonishes the Pharisees and the scholars of the law, as he tells them that they should have paid special "attention to judgment and to love for God" without overlooking their paying of "tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb."  For the former decree and duty of the law is far more important than the latter, because "only in God is my soul at rest; from him comes my salvation," as the Psalmist proclaims.

Today’s scripture readings therefore invite us to focus, not on our sins and their lethal spiritual effects, but on the life-giving grace and love of God, who shows us mercy and forgives us every time we return to him with a contrite, humble heart that allows us to treasure his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience above all things.  This is the promise of hope and salvation that God has given us in Christ Jesus, in whose Holy Spirit rests our soul and finds its peace.   In such a spirit of trust and confidence in God’s mercy, let us bear one another’s shortcomings and hardships with fraternal love and patience, because a judgmental or indifferent attitude would only subject us to the unavoidable woes that Jesus proclaims to his adversaries.  Thus, let us pray for one another, so that we become recipients of Jesus’ evangelical beatitudes and graces, as we strive to love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves.

 

Fr. Alfredo Ocampo, C.P. gives retreats and parish missions.  He is stationed at Holy Name Passionist Community in Houston, Texas.

Feast of St. Teresa of Avila

Scripture:

Romans 1: 16-25
Luke 11: 37-41

Reflection:

The Apostle Paul is very proud and confident of the Gospel. Obviously he is writing his Letter to the Romans before any of the written gospels of Mark, Mathew, or Luke. The "good news" or gospel he is referring to is the proclamation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. This message, when accepted by faith, is the "power of God for salvation".  It was offered to the Jews first, and now to the Greeks. Here Paul sets the theme for his letter.  For this good news Paul would expend his energies and ultimately give up his life.

The power of this good news has shaped Christian life for two thousand years. It has been embodied in the inspired word of God (Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation) and in the sacred mysteries (water, oil, bread and wine, ritual actions and words). It lives in the hearts of the members of the Church, the Body of Christ, united in communion by the Holy Spirit. It has a Universal Teacher, the successor of Peter, and local teachers, the successors of the Apostles. It also has a long history of saints and sinners.

Paul wrote that he was never ashamed of the Gospel, but 2000 years of history has sometimes made us ashamed of the Church. All of us are forgiven sinners. May we pray for one another and listen to Pope Francis’s call to renew the Church in our day.   

 

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

Scripture:

2 Kings 5:14-17
2 Timothy 2:8-13
Luke 17:11-19

Reflection:

In Sunday’s Gospel reading (Luke 17:11-19), Jesus heals a group of ten lepers, but only one of them returns to thank Him. Jesus asks, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" I have often surmised that the other nine might have been so eager to get back to their former lives that they didn’t even take time to stop and give thanks. We must never forget to stop and give thanks for what God has done for us!

As I reflect on the wars and conflicts raging in countries such as Syria and Egypt and Afghanistan and Iraq and so many other places that are not even on my radar, and when I think about the government slowdown/shutdown around the implementation of Obamacare/The Affordable Health Care Act (Whichever side you’re on usually determines which terms you use), Jesus’ question – "Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" – has generated some questions of my own.

For instance, it seems that these ten lepers were together. Does that mean that there were Jews and Samaritans together? Jews and Samaritans were supposed to hate each other. After the ten got cleansed, did they just go their separate ways, with the Jews and Samaritan(s) especially returning back to the old divisions and hatreds? The situation reminds me of something I learned from a Public TV series on the Great Depression. In the early 1930’s, a good number of Army veterans marched on Washington, D.C., and actually set up camps in the city. They were trying to get the bonuses they were promised before the economy went sour (sound familiar?). According to the program, these camps were integrated. At that time, the armed forces were not integrated, but the shared desperation of their situation had brought them together, ignoring the social conventions and prejudices at that time. There was a very controversial dispersing of the veterans led by General Douglas MacArthur, and after the veterans left, it seemed that things went back to the way they were. After 9-11, the U.S. seemed to be united for a time, but it wasn’t long before the partisan bickering began again.

At a recent retreat center board meeting, the members reflected on an article written by John Shea called "Soul Seeing." In the article Shea reflects on how the commonality of suffering can bring us together, without judging or comparing. I see the truth of the article, but it seems that this bringing together does not happen on a bigger scale. There are people suffering from all the things I mentioned above, but that doesn’t seem to bring us any closer together. Could it be because the experience isn’t seen as shared? And therefore we don’t let the common experience change how we think about each other?

Perhaps the biggest difference between the one leper who returned and the nine who did not is not so much between gratitude and ingratitude. The biggest difference may be that the nine got their old lives back, but the tenth leper’s life was changed. The tenth man’s life was changed, not just restored, by his encounter with Jesus. And so he gave thanks.

Our encounter with Jesus, especially at the Eucharist, is meant to change our lives. At Mass, we share in the sacrifice of Jesus. We celebrate His Passion and death and Resurrection for our salvation! As human beings, we can all relate to His suffering. On various levels, our sharing in Jesus’ sacrifice and our love of Jesus is to change us and help us when our faith leads us contrary to the divisions and prejudices and injustices of the world. The disease of leprosy did not respect the divisions between Jews and Samaritans. Neither did Jesus. I daresay neither should we.

May our suffering engender within us empathy and compassion. May it not isolate us but bring us together. May we see the suffering of others as connected to our own. And may our encounter with Jesus change our lives and lead us to bring down divisions and help change the world.

 

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

Scripture:

Joel 4:12-21
Luke 11:27-28

Reflection:

The first time I read this Gospel story, I wondered what I would feel if I heard my son dismiss me so casually.  "No, my mother isn’t any more important than anyone else.  In fact, I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done, as long as you are listening to God’s word and trying to follow it."  Was he serious?  Did he hold his mother, who sacrificed so much for him, in no higher regard than his other followers?  Was she not special in some way?

As I thought about it, though, I realized the gift of this simple statement.  In Christ, there is no hierarchy of status.  It doesn’t matter if I am the most obedient rule-follower, the most recognized parish volunteer, the best preacher, the most devoted Christian, or the Mother of God herself.  I am no more special in God’s eyes than the rest of my sisters and brothers. That is a humbling thought when I am tempted to judge people as either lesser or better than myself.  In Christ, there is no such thing.

Yet on the flip side, this does not mean I am insignificant.  Rather than diminishing any of us, Jesus raises up all of us.  Amazingly, in God’s eyes I am just as special as Mary herself.  And my worth, value, and lovability are not dependent on my actions or efforts.  Because I am loved so completely and unconditionally already, there is nothing I can do to become more precious to God. 

This is incredibly freeing.  My actions and efforts, rather than being attempts to prove my worth, demonstrate my faithfulness, or elevate my status, can instead be heartfelt responses to such overwhelming love.  I can act more selflessly, more honestly, and more courageously because no matter what happens I can fall back into the arms of Love itself, knowing I am stretched by my experiences and led by a Spirit that always works to bring good things even out of my mistakes.

How different the world would be if we all realized we don’t have to strive for recognition and status in order to be worthy of love.  How different our relationships would be if they were built on responding in love rather than winning or controlling. 

As much as I’d like my own sons to praise me to the world and hold me in highest regard, ultimately I think I like Jesus’ way better.

 

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:

Joel 1:13-15, 2:1-2
Luke 11:15-26

Reflection:

"It’s Not Too Late."

The Prophet Joel is something of an enigma.  Little is known about him, except that he is from Judah, the son of Pethuel.  Did he prophesy before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem and marched its leadership into the darkness of exile?  Did Joel prophesy after the exile?  Is this a book about Judah’s past or its future?  We don’t know.  All we know is that Judah is facing its moment of decision during a time of national calamity.  "Alas, the day," Joel announces, "for near is the day of the Lord, and it comes as ruin from the Almighty."

His message also is rather enigmatic.  "This is the Day of the Lord."  Is this a message of warning or of good news, of justice or of mercy?  Perhaps it is both-and.  Joel calls his people to examine their past and the judgment of God for their sins.  But, it’s not too late, he seems to say.  There is hope in their future if they will seek the Lord.

"This is the Day of the Lord" also means that it’s time to decide.  Are they with the Lord or not?  Where do they stand?

Jesus speaks a similar word to us.  His numerous healings and exorcisms brought freedom and healing to many who were oppressed by the work of evil spirits.  This angered some Jewish leaders who accused him of using the power of Satan rather than of God.  But Jesus called them on their contradiction.  A house divided is a house that will fall.  He challenged his opponents.  He challenges us, too.  It’s time to decide.  Do we want to live in the slavery of sin or in the freedom of new life?  Despite our past failures and sins, Jesus extends to us a future of hope and healing.

But there is one non-negotiable – there can be no neutral parties here, no house divided.  It’s time to decide.  "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."  It’s not too late.  If we listen carefully, we will hear the Good News lurking within the words "This is the Day of the Lord."

 

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

 

 

Scripture:

Jonah 4:1-11
Luke 11:1-4

 

 

Reflection:

Are There Boundaries to a Father’s Love?

The Prophet Jonah writes after the exile in a period when the people of Israel were very nationalistic. They were again in their homeland, the temple is rebuilt, they are a Chosen People and the other nations will know the wrath of God. Is there any wonder that the Book of Jonah was not always admitted to the list of the Sacred Books of Scripture among the Jewish people? As a prophet Jonah questions a narrow understanding of God’s love, shows it to be boundless, including even Israel’s worst enemies, and surprises us with the eager reception of God’s Word by the Ninevites.

Jonah knows God! We do not ‘know’ God, but Jonah as a prophet has a wonderful gift of indeed knowing the mystery of God’s love. "I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish." These are words that all Israel knows from Moses encounter with God on Mt. Sinai. This could and perhaps should have been his message? But he is not happy with this understanding that God has shared with him. In their conversation God asks Jonah, "Have you reason to be angry?"

It seems that God and Jonah will play the game, ‘who will blink first’, as Jonah settles down to watch the city. God comforts Jonah in the heat with the shade of a vine and then God discomforts him sending a worm to kill the vine and its shade, and to leave Jonah unprotected from the sun and wind that follow. Jonah is miserable again, now that God has destroyed the comfort the vine provided.

God asks once again, "Have you reason to be angry?" If you are miserable, Jonah, about that little vine how do you think I feel about those whom I called ‘good’ when I worked at creation? How do I feel about the one hundred and twenty thousand people in Nineveh whom I watch over as God but who do not know me with the intimacy and knowledge that you have of me?

Through Jonah the prophet, God challenges Israel and us to go beyond boundaries, boundaries that are our boundaries for God, and to trust that God’s love and mercy exceed them.

Luke too tells us that Our Father’s love exceeds our boundaries. God is Holy, God provides for us, and God is forgiving. We are humble before God whom Jesus tells us is Our Father, we ask in our need, and with God’s help we are forgiving as God is forgiving to us.

 

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

Scripture:

Baruch 4:5-12, 27-29
Luke 10:17-24

Reflection:

In the old film entitled "Ghost" the late, Patrick Swayze plays the dead husband’s ghost, who has come back to protect his wife from a criminal act. By accident, Swayze discovers the capability to move things with invisible power. It amazes him, but he can’t repeat it.  He seeks out another ghost who haunts a New York subway, and begs him to teach him how to do this.  Finally, the fellow ghost teaches him with this advice." You’ve got to put all of your concentration, your love, passion, anger… all of your feelings into the act of moving that thing. Nothing else matters, just concentrate! It works."

The Gospel points out the surprise of the seventy-two disciples when they are able to cast out demons in the Name of Jesus. The power has come to them through Jesus, and it is by their faith in him that they succeeded.  The real cause for rejoicing is that the kingdom of God has come conquering the powers of death.

Prayer is a daily commitment to put our energies, concentration and will into the hands of God.

This kind of concentration enables us to persevere in the grace-filled activities that bring the powers of hope, compassion and justice into darkened lives.  Is not prayer the occasion where our interior eyes and ears perceive, see and hear what others do not?  Baruch, the secretary of the prophet Jeremiah, makes the same reference and appeal to the Babylonian captives when he reminds them that justice is with the Lord and it is for us to heed the His Voice. Nothing else matters. Just concentrate in faith.

 

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