Daily Scripture

Scripture:

2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12
Matthew 23:13-22

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew, we hear the beginning of Jesus proclaiming “woes” to the scribes and the Pharisees for being hypocrites in their leadership of the people. In the last several verses, Jesus criticizes the scribes and the Pharisees on how they determine the value of oaths: “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated…And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'”

Jesus points out to them that what they value is not what is important. I see this as a challenge to us because it is easy to bring the values of the world in to the practice of our faith. It is oh so tempting to try to manipulate the Gospel into justifying a desire for material wealth and possessions. As Christians, we are called not to let worldly values influence how we live our faith, but to let our faith influence how things are done in the world.

As we do our jobs, or seek employment, or attend school, or live out our retirement, we are to demonstrate forgiveness and mercy and compassion. Wherever we are, whether we are single or married, religious or ordained, we are called to love others as Jesus has loved us. Our trust is not in “gold” nor “gifts,” but in the God who has blessed us and given us the promise of everlasting life!

In the words of our first reading from 2 Thessalonians, may God “powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith” in and through our lives!

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior of the Passionist Community in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Scripture:

Isaiah 66:18-21
Hebrews 12: 5-7, 11-13
Luke 13: 22-30

Reflection:

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate”

In today’s first reading, Isaiah has a vision that “nations of every language” will come to see the glory of the Lord.  In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem and he  also speaks of people coming from the east, west, north, and south to experience God’s Kingdom.  On this journey someone asks Jesus: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I will tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

Jesus is speaking about the gate to eternal life which is not wide and spacious but it is narrow. What does it mean for us to get through that narrow gate to eternity?  We don’t merit everlasting life based on someone’s special status like race, religion, or class.  We have to earn it not by simply attending rituals, saying right prayers, or just observing rules. We earn eternal life by letting go of attitudes of prejudice, bigotry, and racism. (Dinah Simmons, Living with Christ, August 21, 2022, p. 154.) We have to let go of material things, past resentments, fears and past hurts. Living our faith fully means striving to love every person who enters our life specially the poor and vulnerable persons. 

Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D. reminds us: “ Let us always remember there is Someone who helps us squeeze through that narrow gate.  Jesus, like a gentle midwife, helps to pull us into everlasting life.”  How well are you and I doing in squeezing through the narrow gate to heaven?  (Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D., Living Faith: Daily Catholic  Devotions, August 21, 2022.)

Carl Middleton is a theologian/ethicist and a member of the Passionist Family.

Feast of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

Scripture:

Ezekiel 43: 1-7ab
Matthew 23: 1-12

Reflection:

Some people are just worth remembering.  They live their lives in such a way that their peers, both friends and foes, respect them.  As a result, they have a profound influence on the very best that emerges in their time.  We celebrate the feast of such a remarkable man today, St. Bernard of Clairvaux.  He lived in the 12^th century (born in 1090 and died in 1153), a time of great turmoil in the Church and in society. 

He was born into one of the noble families in Burgundy, France.  He had a great future before him in the society of his day but chose instead to give his life to God.  Against his family’s wishes, he rejected the ambitious plans they had for him and, instead, followed his heart and at age 23 entered one of the most austere religious orders in the Church, the Cistercians.  He was already so influential among his peers that he brought a total of 30 young nobles (among whom were several of his brothers) with him into religious life.  Even at the early age of 23, he was a man of prayer and his prayer life deepened quickly under the guidance of the Abbot of Citeaux, St. Stephen Harding.  Though the Cistercians lived a very austere life, they were growing so rapidly at that time that just two years after he entered, he and fifteen other companions were sent out to found another abbey.  Bernard was elected the first abbot of this new abbey located in the Clair Valley.  He remained Abbot of Clairvaux until his death in 1153

As abbot, Bernard emphasized three important spiritual disciplines:  an austere and simple form of life, lectio divina and personal prayer, and finally, a deep personal devotion to Our Blessed Mother.  His Abbey flourished and Bernard founded three additional abbeys with the monks from Clairvaux.

But it wasn’t just within the confines of the Cistercians that Bernard exerted enormous influence.  He participated in several Church Councils, brought unity to the Papacy (persuaded most of the secular rulers to accept Innocent II over Anacletus II), and overcame several heresies that were rampant during his time.   In short, Bernard became one of the most significant religious figures of 12th century. 

As you remember St. Bernard today, I hope you have a chance to read more about his life.  He is a true example of a faithful disciple of Jesus who uses all his considerable gifts to build up the Kingdom of God.  We thank God for this remarkable man and ask for the grace to live our lives in a way that builds the Kingdom of God.

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is the director of retreats at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 28:1-10
Matthew 19:23-30

Reflection:

“For God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

There are times when I open the Scriptures and read the readings of the day, I become quite agitated. The Mass reading for today is one of those times. They are quite challenging. The first reading talks about arrogance. It describes people who are well off thinking that their wealth and good fortune comes from having superior wisdom and intelligence. Soon, they think themselves superior than God!

In the Gospel, Jesus tells us of the great challenge the rich have in getting into the Kingdom of heaven. To make his point, he gives an example. It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

Needless to say, this teaching astonished the disciples. One of the great signs of God’s favor for them was the accumulation of wealth. They became concerned and went to Jesus with their anxieties. Besides, they saw themselves as the exceptions. They had left everything to follow Jesus. They had given up family, lands and wealth to become his disciples. They became concern that they would not be rewarded for their sacrifice. It just didn’t sound fair to them.

There are times when Jesus’ response is not so helpful at the moment. We usually want answers to our questions, and not proverbs. When Jesus told them: “For God all things are possible,” the disciples did not seem satisfied with that response. Peter goes on to tell him just how much they had given up in order to follow him, as if he didn’t know.

Jesus’ response should drive us to prayer. We will not understand it in a court of law, or in a universe where everyone is suppose to be treated with compensation. Our feeling is that if I do something good, then our earthly reward will be something good. But with Jesus, that’s not the way it works. Jesus asks us to look at life in a new way. Jesus wants us to recognize a new understanding of what constitutes family, blessings and God’s favor. It is not immediate gratification and it is not even what we deem is good. It is what God sees which God pronounces good. What we think is good is not always so good.

Being reminded that we are not god, that arrogance does not last and that our sense of reward needs to be rethought is not what we want to hear. But it seems to me that we cannot fully appreciate what God has done for us if we do not recognize our inability to see the role God has in our lives, in the life of the whole of creation and in the cosmos. Once we begin believing that only God is God, will we begin living as God’s loving children and realize our connectedness with the whole of creation.

Isn’t God great!

Fr. Clemente Barrón, C.P. is a member of Mater Dolorosa Community in Sierra Madre, California.

The Feast of the Assumption of Mary

Scripture:

Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
1 Corinthians 15:20-27
Luke 1:39-56

Reflection:

Today we celebrate a great feast in the Church, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven.  In the celebration of this miraculous event, there are two special themes that can help all of us as we try to live out our faith in more meaningful ways.  First of all, this feast is a reminder that our God is a faithful and steadfast God.  God will not let us down.  No matter how dismal and disappointing events around us may be, God will be there for us and not forget to guide us in every moment.  How can we be so sure of this?  It was God who called Mary to participate in the great event of salvation, to be the “tabernacle”, the bearer of divine life, when she bore within her own womb the long-awaited Savior of he world.  And this was all accomplished when Mary uttered those simple words, “Be it done to me according to thy word.”  In this simple utterance, Mary was declaring that, though she could not possibly comprehend the mystery that would be unfolding within her, the whole aim of her life would be an unending, uninterrupted litany of saying yes to the Lord.  In every moment Mary would be placing her trust in God.  And, at the same time, God would be present for Mary, guiding her, comforting her, showing her the way.  And, as our feast celebrates today, in the end, after the mission of her beloved Son was accomplished, Mary would be assumed into Heaven.  Mary was faithful to the end.  And her God was faithful to her, raising her up to new and divine life.  One great message for us all today.  Our God is a faithful God.

There is another special message on this feast day, however, one that I love to share with others when leading the rosary, specifically the glorious mysteries, when we meditate on the fourth and the fifth mysteries.  In the fourth mystery, of course, we remember the feast we celebrate today, the Assumption.  In the fifth mystery, though, we go even further as we declare that Mary, the faithful one, was crowned queen of Heaven and earth.  Now, I would really like to believe that this happened.  I would love to think of this moment as it has often been portrayed by great Italian and Flemish artists, and even before these great ones, similar images found painted in monasteries and on various manuscripts. Without fail, they portray Mary seated on a golden throne, surrounded by choirs of angels, dressed in beautiful garments.  Truly a queen!  But I have no doubt that this is not the moment when Mary became our queen, queen of angels and saints, queen of Heaven and earth.  Rather, the first throne of Mary was hardly one of gold.  Isn’t it true that Mary became our queen when she was sitting in the dirt and mud at the foot of the Cross, holding in her arms the broken, lifeless body of her beloved son, Jesus?  We see Mary dressed in rough blood-stained garments, barefooted with callouses on her feet and gentle hands marked with the blood that flowed from the Cross.  Isn’t this the moment when Heaven and earth stood still, even as Mary cried out her fiat, her eternal yes to the will of God, and Mary truly became our queen, the one who was assumed into Heaven because of her unending fidelity and trust in God?  And so for us today!  We are invited to remember these moments in the life of Mary and imitate them in our own way, day by day, always remembering that our God is faithful, if only we say yes again and again, and put our trust in Him.

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

Scripture:

Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Hebrews 12:1-4
Luke 12:49-53

Reflection:

Living in these divided times, I found myself struggling with the words of Jesus in our Gospel reading for Sunday (Luke 12:49-53): “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

Personally, I feel called to help bring people together, not push them apart. Is Jesus really asking me and all of us to promote the divisions that exist between peoples? In light of what we read in the Gospels; I would say the answer is no.

What I do believe Jesus is saying is that His message is not to be diluted for the sake of “not rocking the boat,” or “not stirring things up.” He encountered opposition from almost the very beginning of His public ministry. Much like the prophet Jeremiah (See our first reading: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10), there were people, mostly people in power, who didn’t like what He had to say, and eventually these people plotted to kill Him, just as their ancestors looked to do with Jeremiah. Jesus did not come to establish comfortability or complacency or “peace” with what is.

For many early Christians, their decision to follow Jesus not only put their lives in danger, but put them in conflict with members of their own families, as Jesus says when He talks about fathers against sons and mothers against daughters, etc.

To follow Jesus is to take a stand, which can lead to conflict and the cross. But when we look at how Jesus dealt with and related to the Samaritan woman at the well, or the Syro-Phoenician woman begging for help for her daughter, or the synagogue official, or the Roman centurion with the servant who was ill, we can see that Jesus was not looking for us to be so divided that we lose sight of the humanity or the sacredness, in God’s eyes, of the “other.” That is what I fear our divisions have brought us to: questioning even the humanity of the “other.” It is this kind of mentality that has led to slavery and injustice and human trafficking and attempts at genocide. We are not called to promote this kind of division, no matter how righteous we think we are.

Instead, as it says in our second reading from Hebrews (12:1-4): “let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us [Doesn’t prejudice and violence seem to cling to us?] and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.” I suppose that the “joy that lay before him” refers to the Resurrection. But I also wonder if that joy has to do with our salvation. He endured the cross for the sake of the joy of saving us all, not just some.

Jesus says, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” May we be set on fire for love of the world, even love for those we consider “other.”

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior of the Passionist Community in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Scripture:

Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32
Matthew 19:13-15

Reflection:

Recently, my husband and I traveled to Ireland to attend a family wedding. While there we were joined by our son and his family. It was the first trip for our grandson who is two years old. And he seemed to take to the idea of farming and cows and tractors with glee. As I reflected on the readings for today, I was struck by those memories of how he walked purposefully over the field with a goal to see the cows. Something inside me resonated deeply as I watched him walk with his dad and grandfather and uncle over the fields of his heritage as if he felt at home.  Paying attention to the movements of God in our life seems important. The first reading from the prophet Ezekiel simply suggests that. We are not responsible for the sins of our fathers, rather we walk purposefully towards our heritage. We are invited to be virtuous in life. Our Gospel offers a similar idea, let the children come to Jesus, it is he desires to have a relationship with them, with you and me.

In Sunday’s readings, the Gospel of Luke suggests, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father, is pleased to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)”

To me, the readings of today offer us an invitation to pause and reflect on how we can integrate Sacred Scripture into our lives.

Often, we are so busy that we hardly take time to pause and truly reflect on the readings; myself included. Can we imagine how we might approach life if we understood that we are not to be afraid and that our Father is pleased to share the kingdom? Is that what Jesus meant all those years ago as he went about proclaiming the Kingdom in Galilee and Jerusalem?

When I reflect on the scene with our grandson, I am reminded of the abundance of God’s presence in our lives. A God who moves in and through to get our attention.

What do you see the readings offering you today? What thought comes to you?

While I have no idea how our grandson understood this experience, safe to say, I trust him to the providence of the kingdom.

Dear Jesus, may we always trust in your love and guidance. May you be before us and beside us (Psalm 139:5).

So, when we look to the right or left, in confidence, we will hear the voice of God saying, “this is the way, walk this way. (Isaiah 30:21)” 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.