Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Hebrews 6:10-20
Mark 2:23-28

Reflection:

Today’s reading from Hebrews exhorts us “to hold fast to the hope that lies before us.” Christianity is unabashedly a religion of hope, and Christians are called to be shining and resilient witnesses of hope, because Christians believe that the God who first blessed us with life wants us to share fully in the joy and love and beauty and goodness that is God. Our life is an unfolding journey to God—an itinerary to beatitude that culminates in joyous communion with God and the saints—and hope keeps us on the right path. But the very nature of hope reminds us that we are pilgrims on a journey toward a fulfillment that we can anticipate (and, in some way, already experience), but cannot yet completely enjoy. Hope orients our lives to a future good that utterly transcends anything we could ever give ourselves, but which, precisely because we do not yet possess it fully, can begin to doubt.

The passage from Hebrews warns us not to become “sluggish” regarding the object of our hope, but instead to keep our attention firmly fixed on it. It is a perceptive and timely reminder that affirms not only how easy it is to turn away from the good that God has in store for us, but also to begin to doubt its very possibility. Or, perhaps more likely, we fill our lives with so many distractions and attach our hearts to so many lesser goods that we gradually forget there is something greater, something far lovelier, and something infinitely more hopeful to which God calls us.

In order to avoid these woeful possibilities, there are two things we can do. First, as Hebrews reminds us, we must remember that we are heirs to the love, goodness, and mercy of God. God wants to bless every one of us in unimaginable ways by sharing with us everything that God is and God, as the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus testify, is faithful to his promises. Second, hope will anchor and steady us, keeping us on the right path, if instead of imitating the gloomy legalists in our gospel today who live to find fault with others, we seek, like Jesus, to do good in whatever way we can whenever we can.

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology & Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family.

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6
1 Corinthians 1:1-3
John 1:29-34

Reflection:

Is it really true?  We’re already in ordinary time!  What happened to Christmas and all those special feasts that helped us celebrate the wondrous mystery of the Incarnation, the birth of Christ?  Yet, here we are, firmly planted in these many Sundays known as “ordinary time.”  Still, as I have heard so many times, there is nothing ordinary at all about “ordinary time.”

In our readings for this Sunday, we hear the words spoken by the Lord to Isaiah: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”  A ‘light to the nations,’ what amazing words, words that are spoken not only to Isaiah but to all of us who are people of faith, as well.  These words remind us of the star shining in the heavens, calling the Three Kings to the birthplace of the Messiah, wise men guided by the light, touched by the light, and, even driven to change their lives, by God’s holy light.  And many years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah is told that, he too, would become a light, a “light to the nations” as he fulfills the mission given him by God, to restore faith and hope in Israel.

On this ordinary Sunday we, too, receive this message from the Lord.  We are called to be a light to the nations.  And how do we do this?  By witnessing our faith and sharing with all whom we meet the good news that Jesus is Lord.  We are invited to remind everyone that, when we walk in the light of Christ, it can make a real difference in day-by-day life.  Isn’t this what St. Paul means when he tells us in his letter to the Corinthians, that we have all been sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, even as we call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ?

And lastly, our beautiful passage from the Gospel of John, narrating that special moment when John the Baptist first saw Jesus walking toward him by the Jordan river.  We do not know if Jesus ever really knew his cousin as they were growing up before this extraordinary baptismal event, but we can only imagine how moved the Baptist was to finally see the one who was “filled with the Spirit,” the one who is truly “the Son of God!”  Here is Jesus, in plain sight!  Surely John’s heart would have been filled with the words spoken by his own father, Zechariah, when he cried out his song about his beloved child, John: “You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way, to give His people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.”  An extraordinary moment we are invited to think about on this ordinary Sunday!  We can all fall to our knees and cry out with John the Baptist:  “Behold, the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin of the world.”

Fr. Pat Brennan, C.P. is the director of Saint Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Hebrews 4:1-5, 11
Mark 2:1-12

Reflection:

One of the things I learned early on in my association with the Passionists is their ability to see new and deeper lessons and insights into the same Gospel time after time. I would have largely believed that there was one lesson from each story and had it all sewn up from the first hearing. Today’s Gospel would have been a prime example of the way I used to slot it into place in my mind from the very first word. “This Gospel is about the faith of friends who tore back a roof to see that their friend was healed.”

I was hearing it proclaimed every time, but I was not listening to the new insights. Somehow, I missed the reality of the Living Word of God that is constantly moving and inviting us into deeper relationships. It inspires us in every stage of our life as long as we are truly listening.

I will forever be grateful to those wonderful men—and women—who opened up Sacred Scripture in ever changing and new ways for me. It inspired me to pursue classes on my own and to trust in each message, daily given.

While today’s Gospel is about a deep faith in Jesus to heal and to forgive, a new insight for me is the whole drama. The bigger picture. We are invited to understand Jesus’ destiny as he lives between the tension of healing—and forgiving—and the “legal experts” judgments of his actions. They judged him to be blasphemous and just a traveling preacher. How could he forgive sins in the name of God?

A closer look at the text reveals there is no mention of any specific friendship, “they came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.” (V.3) This might suggest that the whole community was involved in this act. Might it have been the faith not just of the four but of the whole community? Perhaps this offers us one of the blessings of belonging to a faith community. And, what about Jesus’ words of forgiveness of sin? One commentary I read recently suggested that forgiveness was a sign of weakness in the ancient world. One might add, what has changed? We still have wars and strife and needless suffering. Lest we get too bogged down in the negative, we see that Jesus did heal the paralytic; he gave hope to his darkness. We know that Jesus obliterated sin—our sin—and opened up heaven for all. It is our choice to follow him and do likewise—forgive—and bring peace into our hearts and our world.

Sometimes we don’t hear that message very well. We may listen and assume we have the lesson already learned. Paul touches on this in our first reading. In the chapter before our reading, Paul goes into a bit more detail about the ancestors who didn’t hear and therefore may not enter into the Sabbath rest spoken of in Genesis. In a way, I was like that before my eyes were opened to the truth of our ever-changing and ever-new Word, even as he –the Word incarnate—never changes. We are the ones who need to change to whatever life offers us through the lens of faith.

The inspiration I heard today is the blessing of our faith community, to the gift of belonging and strength. We are not perfect, yet we journey together in faith, hope, and love.

May we always remember that we belong to God and each other. May we strive to listen to hear his voice in our hearts. He cares for us. We are worth everything because of his love for us. May we ultimately enjoy his rest. Amen

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

Scripture:

Hebrews 3:7-14
Mark 1:40-45

Reflection:

Today’s first reading can aptly be described as a warning to periodically check the condition of our hearts lest, in ways we are scarcely aware, they turn us away from what is true, holy, and good. The passage from Hebrews speaks of “hardened” hearts, “erring” hearts, and “evil and unfaithful” hearts, suggesting that though it may be easy to develop each of these pathologies, such conditions of heart are fatal to our relationship with God and one another.

A hardened heart is a dangerous spiritual predicament because when our hearts are hardened nothing can touch them, nothing can enter into them; hardened hearts are closed to God’s spirit and life, closed to any possibility of healing and hope. Our hearts harden over time—sometimes so gradually that we have no idea what is happening to us—when we shut our lives to others, when we settle into self-serving routines that suck life from us and those around us, or when we become so comfortable with who we are and what we believe that we are no longer willing to grow and to change. With erring hearts we slip slowly away from God by letting other things (other persons, our own pleasures, money and possessions) take the place of God. With erring hearts it is not that we suddenly begin to love the wrong things, but that we love them in the wrong ways, giving lesser goods far more attention than they deserve. And with evil and unfaithful hearts we act as if we ourselves are gods, doing whatever we want and getting whatever we want no matter how much hurt and harm it brings to others.

And so maybe it is time for a heart checkup. Like people who are sick long before they receive a proper diagnosis, we need to periodically check the condition of our hearts to be sure we are not denying ourselves the love, healing, mercy, and wholeness that God wants to give us and that we need to truly live.

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology & Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family.

Scripture:

Hebrews 2:14-18
Mark 1:29-39

Reflection:

Women in the Gospel of Mark

Today’s gospel depicts Jesus healing Simon’s mother-in-law who was seriously ill with a fever.

So much is packed in this brief episode, not the least of which Jesus is honoring women by making Simon’s mother-in-law the subject of this gospel’s first miracle.

A fever may not seem serious to us today, but it was different in that pre-penicillin world.  People died of fevers or the infections they caused.  The mother-in-law’s illness was no minor matter.

We are told that Jesus “came and took her by the hand and raised her up.  The Greek word for “raised” in the gospel is “egeiren.”  Mark uses this same word when he tells of Jesus raising the Jairus’ daughter from the dead (5:41-42), and Jesus’ resurrection (14:28; 16:16).  In each case, it is God’s power that makes resurrection possible. 

Mark continues with the story of Simon’s mother-in-law.  “The fever left her, and she served them” (vv. 31-32).  One might understandably find this story offensive because of the woman’s servant role.  However, Mark may be conveying a theologically rich message here.  The word “served” in the Greek is “diekonei” – from “diakonia,” and from which we get the word “deacon.”  The mother-in-law took up her role as deacon to the people of God in the way Jesus comes in his servant role, “not to be served but to serve” (v. 10:45), and calls his disciple to do the same.

The disciples, however, consistently fail to understand Jesus’ servant role – and theirs.  Mark portrays his female followers in a far better light.  At the temple, a poor widow gives more than anyone (v. 12:43).  A woman who pours expensive nard on Jesus is prophetically and symbolically anointing his body for burial (14:8).  When Jesus is crucified, Peter will deny him (14:72), and the other disciples will run away.  Nevertheless, several women will remain present with him (15:40-41).  Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome will bring spices to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body (16:1).

It is true that at the end of Mark’s Gospel, the women run away from the tomb, terrified to say anything to anyone (16:8), but we also know that announcement of the Good News, that Jesus has been raised to new life, is dependent on their witness and discipleship.

Today’s gospel with the story of Simon’s mother-in-law signals that Jesus takes women – and so many others who have been shoved to the margins of life – and call them to a special servant role in the mission and ministry of Jesus. 

This is what the coming kingdom will look like.  Servanthood, diakonia will be found, not in the centers of power, patriarchal and otherwise, but at the margins, among the anawim, the poor of God.  In Jesus’ mission, we can catch a glimpse of the new creation and the servant role we all are exhorted to embrace.  It is a role that is, time and again, given witness by the determination of the women in Mark’s gospel.

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

Scripture:

Hebrews 2:5-12
Mark 1:21-28

Reflection:

Whenever I teach, I hope it makes a difference for attendees. Yet when they tell me how I touched or helped them, it’s hard to know what to say. We aren’t taught to accept compliments, even if well-deserved. We are taught to deflect or minimize them. Although we crave affirmation for ourselves and our work, we don’t know what to do with it when it’s given.

I wonder if even Jesus, human that he was, struggled with that. When the demon named him as the Holy One of God, Jesus quickly silenced it before he freed the man from possession. At that point in his ministry, was Jesus uncomfortable with the title bestowed on him?

Or perhaps he was uncomfortable with other people’s perception. Perhaps Jesus didn’t need affirmation of his worth or his special relationship with God, plus he knew that having his “fame” spread throughout Galilee was not necessarily a good thing. He didn’t want to be idolized; he wanted to be imitated. He didn’t want to be a celebrity; he wanted to be a model of what we all can be. Living out his mission could be impeded by such recognition.

I suspect there was a bit of both at play in this interaction. So, how do I balance that in my own life? I believe the first step is to unlearn my well-practiced tendency to base my self-worth on what others think. I too often use praise and affirmation to assure myself of my value and lovability. And of course, when I get the opposite, I feel demeaned and unlovable.

Instead, I need to center my worth as Jesus did – in my core identity and status as a precious, beloved child of God whom no one can demean or destroy. Human admiration, loyalty, and love can be so fickle. Only God’s love is unwavering, ever-present, and has nothing but my best interests at heart, even when the demons of past hurts and suffering arise and even with all my scars and imperfections. So, despite how insignificant and unworthy I can feel, I need to sit in prayer and simply let God love me.

Then I need to respond to that undeserved outpouring of love. I must keep God at the center of all I do and live out my own mission, trusting that I will indeed make a difference when my open heart allows the Spirit to touch others through me.

Finally, when I am praised, I can be grateful and accepting. It’s not boastful to sincerely appreciate the confirmation that I am serving as an instrument of God.

That all is much harder in practice than it is in writing. I may even have to start backwards – learning to graciously accept compliments that I can then take into prayer. Regardless, perhaps we can all work to believe in our core identity and value in God, and then help free others from the demons that prevent their recognition of the same in themselves. We’re all in this together with Jesus – lovable, precious, and sent to the world.

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.corgenius.com/.

Scripture:

Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6  
Matthew 2:1-12

Reflection:

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

What do we do when we find the meaning of life or the key to eternal life? Does it lead to worship? It led the Magi to worship King Jesus. Our response to the Father’s offer of salvation must be that of the Magi. We should bring gifts to proclaim his kingship. We should bring gifts to proclaim his Godhead. We should bring gifts to proclaim his mortality. (Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh). Even creation responds as well: “When the King of Heaven was born, the heavens knew that he was God because they immediately sent forth a star; the sea knew him because it allowed him to walk upon it; the earth knew him because it trembled when he died; the sun knew him because it hid the rays of its light when he died on the cross; (Saint Gregory the Great). Coming to know the Son of God changes our lives.

Have you ever gone to a party or a gathering with a gift, only to arrive and realize that the gift is wholly inappropriate for the recipient or the occasion? Imagine what the magi felt with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh when they walked into the stable where Jesus was born. Perhaps their first thought was that they should have left those gifts in Herod’s palace. But then “they prostrated themselves and did him homage,” two things they did not do for Herod (Matthew 2:11). Despite the humble surrounding and humble parents, they recognized the King and presented their most appropriate gifts. Our response to the Father’s offer of salvation must be that of the Magi: To proclaim Christ’s Kingship, to adore his Godhead, and to acknowledge his mortality” (Saint Odilo of Cluny). Despite the humble surrounding and humble parents, they recognized the king and presented their most appropriate gifts.

Deacon Peter Smith serves at St. Mary’s/Holy Family Parish in Alabama, a retired Theology teacher from Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School in Birmingham, a retired soldier from the US Air Force, and a member of our Passionist Family.

Scripture:

1 John 5:14-21
John 2:1-11

Reflection:

Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.  -Psalm 149:1-3

When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
‘They have no wine.’  -John 2:3

Another good friend called me today to tell of woes with their formerly trusted and relied upon automobile. (“old wine” to me) Anyone, who knows me well, knows they won’t get any sympathy from me in that regard, but only my personal sharing of how I finally let go of my automobile in the early 1990’s. It died in the middle of an intersection after I had just invested another $500.00 on a fix that I figured would solve all “our” problems. It didn’t! I got out of my car, pushed it over to the side of the road, and called a friend who happened to be in the car business and asked him to tow it for me and assured him I wanted nothing more to do with it and it was his if he wanted it. We had already discussed this possibility.

That was the beginning of a whole new life (“new wine”). I started walking again and reading, two formerly loved activities which I just didn’t have time for when I had an automobile. I know friends will accuse me of being un-American. As Americans we just don’t let go of “the necessities!” Our life together (measured of course, by dollars spent) depends upon us, to keep spending and consuming. That experience also led me to move into the city, which I had been contemplating but was afraid to do because I wasn’t sure I could withstand the density. After a day or two there, I realized that I should have moved there years ago.

God, help me today, to do as the psalmist suggests in our responsorial, sing a new song, based not upon yesterday’s glories (“old wine”), but on the gifts and insights of Mother Earth and the world I live in today, often seen by me as tragic, problematic or challenging.

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