Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Isaiah 42:1-7
John 12:1-11

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel puts before us a model of great faith, trust and fidelity in the context of relationship, and a contrasting example of wilfulness and isolation.

The contrast is both real in that there are two protagonists (Mary and Judas), and symbolically revelatory in that Mary’s relationship is lived at the level of emotion, feeling and commitment to a person, whilst Judas’ relationship is lived in the head, and is poisoned by false thinking. It is a strong contrast between knowing about Jesus and knowing him.

Judas is trapped in his own thoughts about Jesus and to some extent is so focused on his own thinking and perspective that he fails to see intimacy and love as it is lived out in his very presence. He is trapped within his own opinions, and he chooses to see life in terms of his own perspective. Certainly, he states a value – care for the poor – but ego manifesting itself through false reasoning, makes use of this value and turns it into a criticism. A trap for all of us to notice and indeed, avoid.

Mary by contrast is first of all silent. She adopts the stance that is perhaps the starting point of all prayer – humility, silence and listening – and she allows herself to be led by her love for Jesus into actions that reflect this love. Again, a model for all of us to imitate in our daily lives.

For reflection, we might notice the ‘fruits’ or outcomes of the two approaches.

For Judas, his thinking will eventually lead him to betrayal. His lack of openness and lack of any willingness to see ‘more’ will make him vulnerable to seduction by the hostility of those plotting against Jesus.

Mary’s actions are within the context of relationship and lead to an even deeper revelation by Jesus to her and others. What is more, her actions are held up as a model for all – perhaps symbolised by the reference to the whole house being filled “with the fragrance of the oil”.  

May our relationship with Jesus be lived at a genuine level and may it lead us to fill our houses (our environments of influence) with love.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is a member of Holy Spirit Province, Australia.

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Scripture:

Matthew 21:1-11
Isaiah 50:4-7
Philippians 2:6-11
Matthew 26:14-27:66

Reflection:

Palm Sunday begins Holy Week. We will hear the reading of The Passion according to Matthew today, recounting Jesus’ Last Supper and all the dramatic and sorrowful events leading up to His crucifixion and His death on Good Friday. Jesus foretold His passion; he knew when He came into Jerusalem that He was going to face betrayal, violence, and terrible physical suffering. So, what was His attitude going into this?

In today’s second reading, St. Paul says: “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.” (Philippians 2:5-6) Another word for grasp would be “cling”. Jesus chose not to cling to His divine prerogatives, and to humbly submit to an ignominious death on a cross. These words were addressed to the people at Philippi in northeastern Greece, many of whom were retired Roman soldiers, and whose culture emphasized ambition, status, and wealth.

St. Paul goes on to say: “Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness and found human in appearance, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:7-8⁾ The phrase “emptied Himself” (“kenosis” in Greek) is the opposite of “grasping” or clinging.

As Holy Week progresses, we see Jesus the servant leader, humbling kneeling on the floor, and washing His disciples’ feet. We see His forbearance as He endures the betrayal of friends, and the arrogant taunts of those in power. We see him comforting those who walked to Calvary with him. We see Him letting go, pouring out His life for us.

As Passionists we proclaim that the Passion is the extraordinary expression of the love of God. This week, as we contemplate Jesus’ Passion, may our hearts be imbued with the attitude of Jesus, who did not cling or grasp, but emptied Himself for love.

Patty Gillis is a retired Pastoral Minister. She served on the Board of Directors at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit. She is currently a member of the Laudato Si Vision Fulfillment Team and the Passionist Solidarity Network.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 37:21-28
John 11:45-56

Reflection:

Days of Judgement

Today’s chapter of John’s gospel begins with the raising of Lazarus of Bethany. Even before it happens, as the story begins, we hear that it is his sister, “Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair”. Then follows the beautiful dialogue with Lazarus’ other sister, Martha, “I am the Resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? Yes, Lord; I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

Then along with Mary and Martha, Jesus’ dear friends, sharing their tears, they approach the tomb. Overriding the caution of the ever-practical Martha that there will be a stench, Jesus calls forth Lazarus.

Today’s reading then continues. The council agrees that Jesus performs many signs, and the result will be that the Romans will destroy the Holy Places and the nation. We hear the a great prophecy that bears the weight of authority because it is made by the high priest: ‘It is expedient that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish’. Then John gives us the reason for the passion and death of Jesus: “He prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one all of God’s children who are scattered abroad”.

How contrary to the sign of Jesus in raising Lazarus, to the hope filled the words of Jesus to Martha, and to the joy in the neighborhood of Bethany! Both Matthew and Mark make clear there is not purity of intention in what they High Priest says. They tell us Pilate was aware that Jesus is handed over out of jealousy.

Our gospel today takes a special meaning by its place in the liturgy of Lent. Tomorrow we will remember the jubilant palm procession that welcomes Jesus to Jerusalem. In the synoptic gospels what follows is the cleansing of the temple, and the judgment against Jesus and the determination that he be destroyed.

On Monday we will hear of another welcome. A dinner celebrating Lazarus life! Perhaps the moment comes when the ever-attentive Martha thinks, ‘what is my sister doing now?’, as she sees Mary approach Jesus, open the expensive jar of perfume and pour it over Jesus’ feet. The house is silent as Mary slowly and reverently uses her long hair to wipe the feet of Jesus. Fragrance fills the house. She gives away the rich perfume but wants what clings to Jesus to cling to her also. What a different judgment of Jesus, what a response of love and gratitude to the one who raised her brother to life.

As the high priest acts with anger, so the silence in the home of Bethany is broken when Judas voices his anger. No purity of intention; he too does not understand love.

What Jesus did was not only for Lazarus but for all of God’s scattered children, gathering us from the fear of death to life. What Mary does, an action that will always be told in the telling of the Gospel, expresses love from all of us.

Fr. William Murphy, CP is a member of Immaculate Conception Passionist Community in Jamaica, New York.

Scripture:

Jeremiah 20:10-13
John 10:31-42

Reflection:

Happy Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent!

Have you ever felt like you were drowning?

Water — the ocean, lakes, rivers, and streams — have always been places where I’ve found peace and solace.  But there was this one day…

Many years ago, while performing on tour with a symphony orchestra, some of us walked out of our hotel and out to the beach to spend our morning off.  Everything began so calmly and joyfully as I went out to swim a little.  Suddenly, without warning, some rough tide rolled in and I became caught in the current, and was pulled out a considerable distance from shore.  I realized I was alone out there, and panic began to ensue.  The water began to cover my head, I started flailing my arms above my head and cried out as loud as I could, “Help.”

What I hadn’t realized was that there were some people — people whom I didn’t know at all — who had seen what was going on, hopped on a small craft, and were already rushing out to save me.  My arm was grabbed and pulled, and I found myself sitting on their boat, heading back to shore… to safety.

Being underwater really did stink… but before I even knew I needed help; my rescue had already been set in motion.  I was pretty fortunate that day…

But there are some times I find myself experiencing other types of “drownings.”  I’m no stranger to being hurt by friends, family members, and partners… I don’t think any of us are.  And I’m also no stranger to hurting other people, even if inadvertently.  One such moment was very recently, while closing in on the end of a very deeply challenging and emotional day on many levels.  While in conversation with friends, I had become so frustrated with a series of exchanges that, eventually, I found myself under a flood of frustration – my arms flailing above my head – but instead of crying “Help,” I spoke in a tone not indicative of the love I share for them.  And for that, I’ll always be filled with regret.

Being “underwater” can really stink.

I guess it’s probably a pretty universal thing for all of us humans to have times when it feels like we’re just underwater.  There we are, walking along our path with a calm normalcy, and suddenly, without warning, rainclouds come and open up, unleashing their stores of water, flooding us, and making dark all that surrounds us.  And when that happens, how easy is it to feel just so very alone.

Our Psalm in today’s Liturgy of the Word (Psalm 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7) sings,

“The breakers of death surged round about me,
    the destroying floods overwhelmed me.
In my distress I called upon the LORD
    and my cry to him reached his ears.”

There will always be times we find ourselves “underwater,” feeling so very alone — as though nobody else in the world knows what we’re going through.  But God is always there, trying to reach us, hold us, help us.  In fact, God knows and sets in-motion our salvation long before we even realize we’re in need.  God is there, sending companions to help us on our journey.  God is there, trying to reach us through the very experiences and encounters of our daily lives — our every-single-moment… if only we would listen.

Who has been God to you in your need?
How has God used you to help others in their need?

Dear Lord,
I’m underwater… and it sure feels like a lot, lately.
My arms are flailing, and I’m screaming for help…
for someone to save me.
I know you’re there, but sometimes I don’t recognize you.
And other times, I try to ignore you.
Please,
open my ears to the sound of your voice.
Open my eyes to the sight of your presence.
Open my heart to the outpouring of your love.
And, please, dear Lord,
help me be the kind of person
that can bring You to life
to all the people in my world today.
Amen.

Peace and love to you today, and forever.

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

Scripture:

Genesis 17:3-9
John 8:51-59

Reflection:

I have been sharing the scrutinies with the elect for the past couple of weeks, and I find myself enlightened as well. We may listen to the word of God, and think we get it, but unless you are going deeper into understanding what we are reading, we may be missing a great deal of information. 

We see so many times in scripture where, for example, the Pharisees tell us the law, but Jesus says something completely opposite of what the Pharisees want us to believe – it is Jesus’ ideals of compassion and mercy that come through to all who hear him. In today’s readings, we see that the authorities could not grasp the idea that Jesus is the Son of God. As Jesus says, they claim to know God, but unlike them, Jesus says that he knows God and keeps his word. The people walking in Jesus’ midst who believed in his miracles were able to accept those miracles as truth – they believed!

Sometimes I find myself asking what it is that Jesus wants me to get out of the readings. Some days when I go to mass, it seems that the Homilist is talking to me – directly to me. And that is what the people in Jesus’ time had as well. They knew Jesus was mysterious, but so many had seen his miracles, or heard him speak his beautiful parables, and believed. 

Allow yourself to separate from the desperation of wanting to understand and grasp every reading you attempt to read. There are some things that are mysterious for a reason. God will open those doors for you as he sees fit. Don’t be the stone thrower, but the one whose glory comes from the Father through understanding and belief.

Patty Masson is the Director of Adult Formation and Evangelization at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Spring, Texas.

Scripture:

Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
John 8:31:42

Reflection:

The selection from John’s Gospel today speaks of true freedom.

In our overstimulated world of distractions and crises, we can easily become caught into the whirlwind about us, spinning about aimlessly from one stimulation and thrill to another, all the while avoiding what we fear. We lose direction, become anxious, and cling to power, status, money to give life meaning.

But none of this satisfies.

The Jews of Jesus’s time endured many similar distractions and distresses. They clung to the Law of their faith to assure themselves of their righteousness before God.

Jesus, especially in John’s Gospel, works to dispel this narrow notion. He explains that the Law worked for a time to give them a direction, meaning and security that non-Jews would never have. But Jesus tosses this whole framework upside down. Instead, he acts on behalf of his Father in telling them that only total self-abandonment to Someone who transcends the Law brings total freedom and meaning to our lives. This opportunity, he goes on to say, is for ALL people, not just the Jews.

The new teaching didn’t set well with the elite in the Temple in Jerusalem and their followers. They argued with Jesus and devalued what he taught, perhaps because it destroyed every teaching that rooted their lives. We know how this tension ended on Good Friday.

The Gospel reading today assures all of us that Jesus is really from Almighty God, that God wants all people free and the way to freedom is Jesus.

As theologian Leonardo Boff states, “…self-surrender mean(s) risking Mystery, throwing in our lot with that ultimate vessel of Meaning in which we participate more than we dream. This is the opportunity offered to human freedom. Men and women can take advantage of the offer, and rest secure.  Or they can let it slip by, and founder in despair…. trust is our tool for not letting hopelessness have the last word. (It) constitutes the supreme deed of human grandeur.”

Following this Way, means much, much more than an intellectual assent, an act of faith recited.

It requires we imitate Jesus and be led into the truth that only an intimate relationship with God can provide. It is a life lived, as Gustavo Gutierrez has said, “without the constraining power of the Law.” Thus, Henri Nouwen concludes, “When we are able to throw off the compulsions and coercions that come from outside of us can we allow the Holy Spirit, God’s love, to be our only guide, then we can live a truly free, interior and spiritual life.”

So, whether as a responsible student, devoted spouse, sanitary worker, parent, factory worker, scholar, health care provider, teacher, pope, beggar or comfortable retiree savoring a life blessed by God, we follow Christ’s example of being loyal and totally dependent on God in every moment in every day. We let the past recede, giving up nostalgia and regrets, and ignore the imagined pitfalls and risks of the future, mindful only of God’s providence in the present moment. In this we are secure. In this we rest. In this we are free. At every one of life’s intersections, when we are to be decisive about which direction to take, we know the Spirit will guide us.

This deep, mystical abandonment to God is available to everyone, by God’s grace. Taking time to reflect and pray on this truth can transform us from being slaves to the winds and distractions of what is unimportant in life to live totally centered in God. This alone, Jesus says, is true, lasting freedom.

Anyone up for that?

Jim Wayne is a board member of the Passionist Solidarity Network (PSN), and author of The Unfinished Man. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Numbers 21:4-9
John 8:21-30

Reflection:

We hear in our first reading from the Book of Numbers how frustrated the Israelites are as they continued the journey to the Promised Land.  We see very clearly that they were close to the breaking point.  They grumbled and complained against God and Moses and just wanted it to be over!  God was disappointed in their perceived lack of faith and trust and sent down a painful punishment upon them in the form of seraph serpents. Then the Israelites begged forgiveness for their impatience and disloyalty.  God relented, forgave them and in turn, the Israelites promised obedience and trust in God’s unconditional love and mercy.

We all have had moments of impatience and frustration in our lives when we failed to see the hand of our loving God or hear and believe in the Good News that is staring us right in the face.  We are a privileged people who should never want for anything, but instead time and time again we are never satisfied and grumble and complain that life is so unfair.  The grass always looks greener on the other side, the glass is always half empty.  We want warm weather, but not too warm.  We look forward to that long-awaited vacation until the plane is late or gas prices are too high forcing us to go to plan B which may not be as much fun or convenient.  We become just like the Israelites in a flash!

During this Lenten season, we are called to put aside our self-centered ways.  We are called to look in the mirror and see ourselves as God sees us.  We are called to be people of compassion, mercy and love, to see the face of God in our sisters and brothers who suffer injustice, illness, homelessness and prejudices.  Jesus is a forgiving and loving God who calls us to embody that love and concern for all those around us who are at that breaking point that the Israelites found themselves in when the journey became too long and difficult.

In a few short days, we will move into Holy Week.  May this be a time during which we recommit ourselves to the service of others as we wash one another’s feet and feast at the banquet Table of the Lord.  May the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ be always in our hearts as we bring our humble and penitent selves to reverence the Cross upon which our Savior gave his life for us.  May we celebrate with Easter joy at the week’s end as we rejoice that the tomb is empty and Jesus is Alive and comes among us bringing new life for all.  Amen.

Theresa Secord is a retired Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 37:12-14
Romans 8:8-11
John 11:1-45

Reflection:

Our Lenten Journey continues this week with the gospel story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The images in this gospel passage from Saint John are stark and compelling. If you can, read this account (John 11:1-45) slowly and pay special attention to this raw moment, not only for Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, but for Jesus himself. These are some examples of the tenderness in this story:

• Master, the one you love is ill.
• Lord, if you had been here, our brother would not have died.
• When Jesus saw Mary weeping he became perturbed and deeply troubled.
• And Jesus wept.
• See how he loved him.

Next week begins Holy Week. It too is a raw journey from life through death to new life. Today’s gospel story of Lazarus is but a foreshadowing of the journey Jesus takes, indeed one we all take.

Death, grief, weeping and graves are not magically dispelled by knowing that our rising again will come. Resurrection occurs only in our dying first, figuratively if not physically. We are the ones Jesus loves. We are the ones in the tomb out of which he commands, “come out.” We are the ones he calls to new life. We are the ones who need to leave the grave behind. We are the ones that need to be unbound and set free.

What is our tomb? What binds us and holds us back from life? The depth of Jesus’ care and love for us is so evident in this story of his dear friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary. He so much wants to give us life. Maybe we can ask ourselves, “Am I ready to leave the stench of the tomb, to leave behind what binds me.” Resentment, anger, fear, prejudice, and disappointment can all bind us and keep us in the tomb. As we make our way to Easter, let us hear Jesus’ words, “Lazarus, come out!”

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