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Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:19-22
John 20:24-29

Reflection:

Today is the feast of St. Thomas, the candid one. He is the one who just tells it like he sees it and really speaks, more or less, for the other Eleven. When Jesus insists on going to Jerusalem, Thomas declares that the trip will mean death for them all. (Jn. 11:16) At the Last Supper, after Jesus declares to them that they know the place to which he was going, Thomas retorts that they do not know the way since they had no idea where he is going. (Jn 14:5) Good news comes when someone is able to put a name on what is going on at the moment. It may be awkward or bold, nevertheless the reality perceived is revealed.

Be "good news" today for someone. Pay attention and name what is going on. The "good news" can be passed along through introvert and extrovert alike. What is key is the way in which we see ourselves "fitting in" to this "structure" which takes shape as a holy temple in the Lord; "in him you are being built into this temple, to become a dwelling place for God in the Spirit." (Eph. 2:22)

Can my candidness help a person feel at home in their anxiety? As I am a dwelling place for God in the Spirit I welcome in people whose paths I happen to cross.

Just as Thomas needed the living proof of His suffering Lord truly risen, people are in need of living proof that someone welcomes them in. Was Thomas’ public declaration helping the others come to grips with their own unbelief even though they paid lip service by declaring "We have seen the Lord." Then, why were they still behind locked doors in fear? Accept in yourself the capability to be a dwelling place for God, at the service of whoever doubts and searches. Be assured Jesus is at the basic foundation upon which your life is built.

 

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

Scripture:
Genesis19:15-29
Matthew 8:23-27

Reflection:
In reading today’s passage from the Abraham saga in Genesis, and the experience of the disciples of Jesus from Matthew’s gospel, my attention easily turned to the way that our lack of faith keeps us thinking small, when God is asking greater things of us.

Lot hesitated to leave the city of Sodom, thereby risking the lives of his wife and two daughters.  On the brink of the disaster that would sweep over the city, Lot looks for a less daunting alternative.  Even when told to run to the distant hills, Lot bargains for a destination which is not quite that far, singling out a little village on the edge of the valley, and which he thinks should be far enough away from Sodom.

The Gospel of Matthew reminds us of the close fellowship of Jesus with the apostles.  They are out on the lake, Jesus is napping.  A storm comes up.  The apostles we have already seen in less flattering light.  They are a reflection of ourselves, wanting to follow Jesus, knowing that God has singled him out for a divine mission, but never far from the doubts that would eventually pull them away from the one who would give his life for them–and for us.

They came and woke him, saying,
"Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.

God had asked Abraham to accept a covenant with him, in perpetuity.  He became the father to many descendants, who would live with the covenant God had offered.  Lot, his nephew, was the pragmatist who saw short-term gain as good enough.

Jesus had asked the apostles to follow him, and had introduced them to the promise of the Kingdom.  In spite of their squabbles and personal aspirations, in the end, they rose to the challenge that Jesus had given them, and which we just heard at our Sunday Eucharist:  "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God." (Lk 9:62)

Every day of our lives we will be in the same situation.  We may have an easy day, relaxed, lots of chores gotten out of the way, a happy domestic scene.  Or we may have a tough day, unfinished work, exhaustion, conflicts within the family, unappreciated at work…  We know how it might go.  To have faith in Jesus is not to "believe" what Jesus taught.  Faith is not about tenets, doctrines, or teachings.  Faith is the total confidence we place in Jesus’ testimony: that we are children of one Father, that we are more important to God than any other creatures, that we must love one another as God has loved us, and that there is no greater love than to give one’s life for one’s friends.  Let us be a people of GREAT faith. 

 

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

Scripture:

Genesis 18:16-33
Matthew 8:18-22   

Reflection:

In today’s readings we meet the Lord our God speaking to us through very particular human customs and practices, starting with Abraham’s haggling with God. I am very open to this story for it reminds me of my early up-bringing in a Catholic-Jewish neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.  It was a regular thing for each of us four boys to be taken in turn by our parents early on a Sunday morning, right after Mass, over to Canal Street in Manhattan, where all the Jewish clothing stores stood side by side the length of the block.  We went looking for the best bargain for our grade school graduation suit, our first suit with long pants.

The haggle would take place as soon as they found a suit they liked.  My father,  consulting alone with my mother, feeling the material and commenting with her, would then turn to the owner and make a much lower offer than the price listed.

The haggle was on.  Back and forth they would go, broken only to consult with my mother, then back to haggling, each giving a little.  I was marched out into the street to see the color in the true daylight, and marched back in for the haggle to begin again.  It was an eventful morning, with several turnings away to leave and being called back by the owner, "Mister, Mister."  And it always ended with everyone happy.

What kind of God is this Lord of Abraham?  How very humanly he debates first with Himself whether he should let Abraham know ahead of time what He is thinking of doing with Sodom and Gomorrah (where Abraham’s nephew Lot then lived, incidentally).  And how Abraham argues with Him – not putting forth how good he himself has been, how loyal he has been, but rather reminding God of His own goodness, His own justice and mercy.  What a wonderful relationship our God has with Abraham and all of his descendants.  How open and wonderful is His great love.

Is Jesus in the second reading giving us some profound truths in somewhat the same style as the story of Abraham?  It reminds me of an old Yiddish (Jewish) joke I heard as a kid.  A man went into the delicatessen and said, "I’ll have a turkey sandwich."  The owner replied "I have no turkey." 

"Well. Then give me a chicken sandwich." 

"If I had chicken, wouldn’t I have given you a turkey sandwich?" 

The replies of Jesus to the scribe and to another of his disciples have the same kind of snap to them.  Especially the second one: "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."  "But Jesus answered him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their

dead.’"  What is Jesus really saying to us?

 

Br. Peter A. Fitzpatrick, CFX, a Xaverian Brother, is a Passionist Associate at Ryken House, across the creek from the Passionist Monastery, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21
Galatians 5:1, 13-18
Luke 9:51-62

Reflection:

What does it mean to be a follower of Christ?  It is a question I have asked myself a lot as of late.   Today’s gospel provides an answer-put Christ first.

I’ll be truthful.  I never liked this gospel.  What I mean is, I never could really allow myself to hear Christ’s message because it was just too hard to hear.  In the passage from Luke, three men pledge themselves to our Lord: "I will follow you wherever you go."  But each of them  has something important they need to take care of before they accompany Christ on his journey.  One must bury his father, the other would like to say goodbye to his family.  These seem like pretty reasonable requests, don’t you think?  Our kind and loving Lord surely would not refuse such honorable appeals-to care for one’s dead father especially.  But the responsibility of discipleship must come before all else.  "Let the dead bury their dead," he tells the man.      

I suppose you could think that our Lord was being cruel.  (I know I did.)  Here is a son devoted to his family, someone who wants to do what he believes is right by his father.  But our Lord dismisses the request.  I don’t think it is a coincidence that the request involves death of a parent-surely, what could be more significant, more important than this?  The answer of course is that if we put loyalty to others before our commitment to Christ, we have already failed.  Christ cannot ever come in second, no matter how important the earthly obligation may seem.  In other words, are we willing to sacrifice everything to follow our Lord?

Let’s be honest.  I am not so sure.  I lost my father last year, and I am certain that nothing but God Himself coming down from heaven could have kept me from his burial.  That’s what makes it even harder.  Our family and friends are here on this earth loving us, caring for us.  It is real and tangible and "external," while our relationship with Christ is not anything we can see in such a human, earthly way.  Our Lord asks a great deal of us.  He asks us to make these sacrifices based on faith. 

To the man who asks to go back and bid his family farewell, Christ answers: "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."  Christ is certainly not mincing words today!  Don’t look behind.  Don’t look anywhere but straight ahead at the goal of eternal life.  So many things threaten to distract us from this goal.  If we look towards these other things, we lose the path to Christ.  The objective of being a true disciple of Christ is not a trifling matter.  We can’t just stop along the way and pause while we advance our career, make a million dollars, judge our neighbor, or any of the various other things that divert our attention.  Christ did not let anything distract him from his path-the path that ultimately led to his death and our salvation.

Yes the sacrifices are great.  Yes, it is difficult and challenging.  Yes, we will continuously fail.  Yes, our human desires and attachments will get the better of us.  What we must remember is that by putting Christ first in our lives, everything else will be better.  Chores and responsibilities and stresses, and yes, even people, will find their proper place.  All we can do is remember what Christ gave for us and what he promises in return.

 

Marlo Serritella is a former staff member of  the Holy Cross Province Development Office in Chicago.

Scripture:

Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22
Matthew 8:1-4

Reflection:

Our readings today challenge us to appreciate how wondrous is our God.  In our first reading from the book of Genesis, Abraham enters into a covenant relationship with God and the people of Israel will bear the mark of this covenant for generations to come through circumcision.   God also tells Abraham that Sarah is promised the miracle of a baby boy, Isaac, at her most advanced age.  Laughable, but true!

In the gospel reading from Mathew, we witness even further the wondrous mercy of God through Jesus’ healing of the man with leprosy. The leper had faith in Jesus and believed that he could be healed.  Clearly, the leper was sick and tired of the pain of his isolating illness.  Miraculously, the healing touch of Jesus transforms this man’s life.  Jesus then instructs the man, now healed, to return to the temple-thus restoring him to the community of faith. 

It is clear throughout the Scriptures that God’s greatest desire is to be in relationship with each one of us.  Have you ever isolated yourself from your faith community?  When in need of healing, have you been willing to ask Jesus for help?  Today, we learn the prayer for healing,  "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean."  Then, in faith, take the next brave step…go back to your church to begin your relationship anew. 

Finally, in your own parish, be sure to look out for individuals "coming home" after a period of isolation and illness.  Through a loving extension of hospitality, we too can be a part of the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

Just to remind myself of my own need for ongoing healing, I think I will pop into a Church today and pray "Here I am Lord…coming home to You…please make me clean!!"

 

Angela Howell is a retreatant and volunteer at Mater Dolorosa Passionists Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16
Matthew 7:21-29

Reflection:

It was Karl Marx who said, "Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people."

The readings from Genesis we’ve been sharing these last couple of days narrate a different story! They could hardly qualify as anesthetizing or escapist; these Scripture passages are real stories about real people, not some never-never-land of our dreams. Today we hear of abuse within a family, a runaway, and a cantankerous and irascible personality; yesterday we struggled with painful family disputes over property. The happy, care-free family life might have existed on old TV sitcoms, but God’s Word is sharper than any two-edged sword! Perhaps that is where we most authentically encounter our loving God, viz., in the messiness of everyday, normal encounters, not in some idealized (and romanticized) perfect utopia.         

Contemporary spiritual writers are saying a lot of the so-called popular atheists might have a handle on this. Too many Catholics today feel that to have strong faith in church means they must leave their brains at the door! Nothing could be further from the truth. If our faith means "blind trust, in the absence of evidence, even in the teeth of evidence," (Richard Dawkins), then the god we worship must die, creating a space for a bigger God, a more authentic God.

To build our house on rock means we are willing to integrate all we know from the behavioral and natural sciences, …physics, cosmology, cultural anthropology, archaeology. Suddenly we realize that science is not the opponent of religion, it is the colleague. The insights of Copernicus, Albert Einstein, or Edwin Hubble have assisted us in engaging this God of mystery, whereby we must "expect the unexpected" (Cardinal Suenens), not some puny god we grab by his divine ankles and domesticate for our own purposes.

 

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.

 

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Scripture:

Acts 12:1-11
2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18
Matthew 16:13-19

 

 

Reflection:

Today we celebrate the Solemn Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  As I look at today’s readings I am humbled by the greatness and holiness of these two giants.  The first reading tells the story of Peter being freed from prison by an angel; the original "get out of jail free" card!  The second reading is a tribute to the great St. Paul and his willingness to "complete the race to the finish line" in his preaching of the good news.  The final gospel reading describes Jesus telling Peter that he is the "rock" upon which the Church will be built.  Wow!  How can I identify with the courage, selflessness and grace of these two giants?  Giants are a hard act to follow!

I am reminded of my childhood reading about the tales of the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan and Babe, his great blue ox!  The closest I have to a great blue ox is Gabriel, my not so great black cat.  So how do I handle a reflection on these two great saints and giants of the early Church, Peter and Paul?

Maybe a giant Louisville sunset will help.  A couple of evenings ago, a classic Kentucky storm rolled through our area at sunset.  When it was over I was sitting and watching the sun go down through the windows.  The sun poured through small openings in the clouds and bounced off the leaves of the trees.  The green of the leaves glimmered like silver.  It was gorgeous in a way only God can provide.  I was touched by the sight and the remembrance of how much God loves me.  I guess I don’t have to be Saint Peter, Saint Paul or even Paul Bunyan to experience the joy of being loved by God!

God loves me completely, just as I am, without reserve, in a most beautiful, remarkable way; and, like most of us, I’m not even a giant.  But I am a child of God; and that’s enough for me and for us all!

Happy Feast Day Saints Peter and Paul!

 

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

Scripture:

Genesis 13:2, 5-18
Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew, we hear several sayings, you could almost say, proverbs, from Jesus. All of them are well-known, including what is widely referred to as "The Golden Rule." The one saying that has drawn my attention is: "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."

Sometimes I want to ask, like a petulant child, "Why?" Why is the narrow, constricted, way the one that leads to life? I believe it is because following Jesus takes us outside of ourselves and beyond our own desires. As we hear in the Gospels, Jesus says, "Whoever wishes to come after me, must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34). We don’t usually like to hear things like that, and so we often find ourselves looking here and there for any other way that could be easier.

But if we are willing to take Jesus at His word, we do find that following Him leads to life. We may not escape trials and suffering, but we will find real joy and real peace. We will find joy in knowing more and more the love God has for us in Jesus Christ. We will actually find joy in sharing God’s love instead of looking for what the world defines as love in all the wrong places. We will find peace in doing God’s will, more than we can find peace in following our own will. And we will find that the more often we enter the "narrow gate," or travel the "constricted road," we will find them more than wide enough for us. Such is the grace and love of God. May we all find life in following the way of Jesus!

 

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P. ([email protected]) is pastor of St. Mary’s Parish, Fairfield, Alabama.