Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Wisdom 2:1a,12-22
John 7:1-2,10,25-30

Reflection:

“…they were trying to kill Him…”

Jesus came to our world with a living message of unity, forgiveness, hope and unconditional love – His life both a gift from God and a challenge to contemporary people!  His preaching, teaching, signs and miracles came to be seen not as a means to personal salvation but rather as threats to safety and the status quo.  The spiritual leaders of Jesus’ time felt that His death was necessary for their “safety” …and “they were trying to kill Him…”

Today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom supports the plot Jesus later faced: 

“…the wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright: ‘Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the Law and charges us with violations of our training.  He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the Lord.  To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways…”

Jesus was a living “thorn-in-the-side” for the wicked spiritual leaders of his day – “…and they were trying to kill Him…”.

As 21^st Century believers, we know that Jesus’ eventual suffering and death on the cross was not the end of His ministry of forgiveness, reconciliation and selfless love, but rather His means to sharing eternal life and salvation for all humankind.  My favorite saying from an author of long ago:   “Good Friday didn’t spoil the weekend…”

We are called to grow as Jesus’ 21^st Century disciples as helped by Lenten journey, including its griefs and graces.  We are invited to be bold in living out our faith in Jesus.  He encourages us to live lives of charity, patience, justice, purity, prayerfulness, and respect for life in all its forms — combating the force of evil which exists in our 21^st Century world.  Jesus leads the way for us, reaching out to us and encouraging us from the wooden beams of His Cross on Calvary…hailed as “The Tree of Life”.

Our journey continues in this last half of Lent 2025, pilgrims of hope in and through Jesus Crucified!  May these grace-filled days renew us in every way and help motivate us to be credible disciples of Jesus Crucified by our love and service of our sisters and brothers worldwide.

Our Holy Founder, St. Paul of the Cross, pray for us!

Fr. John Schork, C.P. serves as the Province Vocation Director and also as Local Superior of the Passionist Community of Holy Name in Houston, Texas.  

Scripture:

Exodus 32:7-14
John 5:31-47

Reflection:

One of my teachers once said to me that he found John’s gospel good for meditation and hard to preach.

Perhaps there is some truth in that, although it is possibly tempered by one’s personal preferences and sense of how one wishes to receive and savour the ‘good news.’

Nevertheless, today’s reading from John tends towards an interpretation that favours the ‘good for meditation’ axis.

It is a rich tapestry of imagery and truth blended together into one of the discourses of Jesus. It has a myriad of ‘word images’ that nourish our faith and open doors to deeper contemplation and insight into the divine.

We are invited to contemplate being emissaries who ‘testify’ to the truth that is Jesus Christ.

We are invited to contemplate the possibility of seeing ourselves as a burning and shining lamp, albeit one that is far dimmer than the true source of light itself – Jesus Christ

We are invited to contemplate ‘hearing’ the voice of God, not in any supernatural way, but by listening to the Word of God.

We are invited to contemplate our relationship with Jesus, to “come to him.” Openly and wholeheartedly in order that we might have life itself.

We are invited to contemplate seeking Jesus above all, above the messages of the witnesses and scriptures that preceded him, and challenged at the same time to believe all that Jesus has revealed to us – that is, to believe his words.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is the Provincial Superior of Holy Spirit Province, Australia. 

Scripture:

Isaiah 49: 8-15
John 5: 17-30

Reflection:

Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you. -Isaiah 49:15

In today’s first reading from Isaiah, the author is speaking to a desolate and destitute people, who have been deported from Jerusalem to exile in Babylon. Their faith and their hope are at a very low ebb, and he does his best to console them by describing the coming liberation and restoration of Jerusalem. He uses beautiful images that were familiar to them, like shepherds leading their sheep to good pasture and away from dangers.

And they are not receiving his message. They respond with: “The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”

So, the writer of Isaiah offers perhaps the most beautiful expression of divine love in the Bible:

Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you. -Isaiah 49:15

When times are hard, or when we are discouraged by the evil we see in the world, it is difficult to believe in a loving God. Or we may feel unworthy and small; and it is a big leap of faith to believe that God sees me, loves me tenderly, and will never forget me.  

Once we understand, accept and truly experience this tender love from God, we come to realize that God loves everyone in this same intimate way.

And we want to pass it on.

Having a conversion of heart, we take on the mind of Jesus, who proclaims in today’s Gospel reading His inclusive love:                                                                                                                     
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life. -John 5:24

Being loved by God and loving God, and loving others and being loved by others, leads us into compassion, sharing the tender love of God with those near, and eventually the entire created world.

Compassion begins with solidarity with a suffering world. -The Passionist Way

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

Scripture:

Ezekiel 47:1-9,12
John 5:1-16

Reflection:

Twice I’ve stood close to the power and majesty of large waterfalls—at Niagara Falls and in the Colorado mountains. I vividly remember the enormous volume and thundering sounds of the cascading waters. Water has center stage in today’s readings, much quieter than my experience with the waterfalls but more powerful.

Ezekiel, while being led by an angel around the four sides of the temple, witnesses an increasing flow of water, first as a trickle and ultimately as a deep river flowing to the Dead Sea. He sees an abundant, life-giving, never-ending flow of water bringing life and healing to the sea and river banks. In this reading, water is a metaphor for God’s gift of grace to creation.

Jesus is visiting the temple and encounters a man lying by the pool of Bethesda. Jewish tradition speaks of an angel stirring the water once a year. The first person who touches the water will be healed of their illness. Jesus asks the man if he wants to be healed, but the man answers that he has no one to carry him to the pool. Jesus immediately heals him and disappears into the crowd. The following day Jesus finds the man in the temple and tells him, “Look, you are well; do not sin any more so that nothing worse may happen to you.”

Jesus teaches us two important lessons from his encounter with the sick man. We do not need to be carried to the pool for healing. God’s grace is freely given to us without anyone’s assistance and without any conditions that must be met to receive it. The second lesson is we must lead grace-filled lives. Jesus’ command is that we do not sin anymore. However narrowly or broadly you define sin, we must follow Jesus’ teaching to love God and our neighbor. By following this Gospel message, we will flourish from the life-giving, never-ending flow of God’s grace.

Mike Owens is coordinator of the Passionist Alumni Association and a member of the Migration Commission of Holy Cross Province. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Scripture:

Isaiah 65:17-21
John 4:43-54

Reflection:

The Responsorial psalm in today’s readings captures so aptly today’s gospel:
“I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”

Jesus had reproached the people who followed him with the titillating expectation that he would perform something remarkable, even sensational, before their eyes.  Instead, Jesus demonstrated that the most amazing power comes from his word.

Today’s gospel tells the story of the royal official who approached Jesus in desperation — in a kind of foxhole prayer.  His son lay in mortal illness at home.  He urgently begged Jesus to heal his son.  “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 

In a most unsensational way, Jesus said to the royal official, “You may go,  Your son will live.”  Jesus’ simple declaration was all it took.  ”The man believed in what Jesus said to him and left.”  Undoubtedly, the royal official returned home praising the Lord who rescued not only his son from death, but him from despair to belief.  Indeed, he and his whole household came to believe in Jesus the Christ.

As with the royal official, Jesus challenges us.  Will we believe that the words of Jesus pack  life-giving power for us?  Will we believe that the Word of God is enough to conquer death and lead us to eternal life?

The story of the royal official is our story.  When we received ashes on our foreheads at the beginning of Lent, we heard the words, “Repent and believe in the gospel.”

During this Lenten season, we are called to believe the way the royal official believed — and to praise the Lord for he has rescued us.

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

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Scripture:

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Reflection:

We all know the story of the Prodigal Son, who essentially proclaimed his father dead, took his inheritance, and shamed his family and himself by how he chose to spend the money. Even the son’s return home was based more on the necessity of survival than it was on sincere repentance. (Interestingly, his father’s open-armed, joyous reception probably did more to generate remorse in the errant young man than did his time sharing slop with the pigs.)

We marvel at the forgiving nature of the father. We spend far less time exploring the resentment of the elder son. I suspect that is because we relate so easily to his feelings. He did everything right – obeying all the rules, living as the model child, and sacrificing his own needs for his father’s. He doesn’t want to see an undeserving sinner receiving the reward he feels is due to him. So instead of joining in this experience of unmatched love, dancing with his brother and celebrating the once-again-intact family, the elder son turns away, refuses his father’s love, and places himself outside the family. He is now no less prodigal than his younger brother. (Perhaps we should change the title to “The Parable of the Two Prodigal Sons”).

This story parallels that of the vineyard workers who were hired at various times of the day, yet all received the same pay. If we worked long hours in the heat of the day, or did everything right like the elder son, we’d be angry over the unfair disparity in treatment, too. We demand justice. No, we demand equity. We want what we believe we have coming to us.

When his son turned away in anger, it is obvious the father’s heart was broken again. Just as he had waited patiently at the window for his beloved younger son to return home, he now had to wait at the window for his elder son to return. If the boy was as stubborn as I can be sometimes, he may have waited for a very long time.

God’s love and forgiveness, as the father demonstrates, doesn’t obey human rules of equity. We can’t earn it, no matter what we do. God simply loves and forgives, freely and lavishly, undeserving though we may be. That is an easier truth to accept when I have done wrong; when I sin I want to be welcomed back like the younger son. It is far harder to accept when I believe I am right, yet I see “a sinner” garnering praise and attention that I crave for myself. This is especially true when I work hard to overcome a certain flaw or sin, only to observe someone else practicing that very sin to manipulate people or situations to their own advantage. I know the short road toward anger and resentment when it seems more rewarding to do wrong than to stay on the right path.

How long did the eldest son remain a prodigal? We don’t know. Yet the operative question is: How long will I? Can I stay true to my calling as a follower of Christ even when I see the “rewards” that sometimes accrue to those who don’t? Can I rejoice just as heartily when the love and forgiveness that God lavishes on me is poured out on others in ways I may deem unfair? Can I turn around and lavish love and forgiveness on those who have hurt me?

I freely admit I’m not there yet. I am still working to transform my ideas of self-righteousness and fairness. I need to keep this parable in front of me, so I can continually let go of all the ways I act like the elder son. God is waiting patiently at the window, waiting for me to turn and come home.

 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:

Hosea 6:1-6
Luke 18:9-14

Reflection:

 O God, be merciful to me a sinner. –Luke 18:13

Lent is a time of the liturgical year that requires me to reflect on my journey to becoming the person that God created me to be, my relationship with God and those around me. The readings throughout Lent take us through different aspects of human failings or hurdles, as I like to call them. These hurdles are challenges to growth in our spiritual life. Today’s readings bring us to another hurdle, judgement, and our efforts to recognize our own sinfulness.

In the first reading, the prophet Hosea reminds us of the things that God wants from us. In this reading we hear the love and knowledge of God is worth more than sacrifices and that piety is shallow and fades away quickly. Knowing God through prayer and reflection can be worth more than our Lenten sacrifices. Taking time to “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:11) can do more for our relationship with God than giving up sugar in our tea!

The Parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee point out the light and dark sides of humanity. The dark side is described as judging others by our own standards of how we live our spiritual life. The Pharisee rattles off all the tasks that make him a more worthy individual before God than the Tax Collector who is an outcast because he works for the Romans and takes the hard-earned money of the people. The Tax Collector takes on the physical posture of humility. He recognizes that he is a sinner and asks for forgiveness before God. This is also one of the qualities of the Saints. They knew and recognized that they were sinners, keeping their condition at the forefront of their minds every day. This allowed them to have humility and thus be able to open their hearts fully to God.

Humility is not about degrading ourselves. It is about how we think of ourselves in the presence of others. The readings today remind us that humility is one of the goals to have to allow us to enter more fully into the Light of Christ.     

May your Lenten journey be fruitful.

Linda Schork is a theology teacher at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Hosea 14:2-10
Mark 12:28-34

Reflection:

The two greatest commandments: Love God and Love our Neighbor!  The first is pretty much a given, loving God who loves us unconditionally is really a no-brainer!  How can we do anything else but be grateful, thankful and blessed to know that no matter how many times we stray from that love, we are always welcome back!  The second commandment to love our neighbor can be more challenging!  It’s easy to love those who agree with us, share our hopes and dreams, challenge us lovingly to be a better person. Most of the time these folks are our closest friends, family, co-workers, people who literally do live next door to us.

Jesus calls us to love all people, especially those we don’t really care for, those who have different views, those who may not even like us! we live in such a fractured world.  It is very easy to get caught up in the infighting on social media or the harsh words exchanged at the dinner table or board room.  We must work to be that light to the world, to be that small flickering sign of Christ’s love for all.

Our parish theme for Lent this year is ‘Return to Me and Be Transformed.  Lent calls us to stay connected to our loving God and see that love and goodness in all of creation.  Truthfully, this is not easy for any of us.  During this Lenten season, may we find it in our hearts to be Christ for all those we encounter. Let us be transformed as we turn our negative thoughts into positive energy as we feed the hungry at the local soup kitchen, organize a call to action to help the poor in our neighborhoods have better access to adequate housing and employment, visit a friend or relative we have been avoiding because their views may not be our views. Let us do all we can to send positive energy into our world.

However you choose to spend these Lenten days leading up to the great celebration of Easter, may you remember the two greatest commandments to LOVE God and neighbor which calls all of us to be a strong witness of Christ’s love to the world, especially in the difficult times.  Peace!

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