Daily Scripture

Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Luke 2:41-51a

Reflection:

It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes through faith. Romans 4:13

On this Solemnity when we venerate St. Joseph, spouse of Mary and foster father of Jesus, in both the Old and New Testament readings the Church recalls the promise made to Abraham by God that he would be the father of many nations. While the reading from Second Samuel tells us how that promise was made, in his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us why. It was the faith of Abraham that was the firm foundation on which the Lord would establish a people uniquely His own. It was from these people that ultimately the Lord would send His own Son. 

When the time came for Jesus to enter the world, the Lord sought another man of faith, a righteous man, to be a father. St. Joseph did not sire Jesus, but he served as a father from the line of Abraham in the flesh and more importantly as his heir in faith. We clearly see Joseph’s faith when he believes what the angel tells him, and he takes Mary into his home. What Scripture does not describe, however, are all the many other realities that required Joseph’s faith. It doesn’t tell us how he had to trust that he would have the wisdom to be a father to God’s Son. It doesn’t tell us that he had to believe that God would give him the grace to live a celibate life. It doesn’t tell us how he had to have faith that he could be worthy of such a role. There are numerous things Scripture doesn’t tell us explicitly about St. Joseph. Rather, it tells us what need to know. He was a man of faith.

There are many times when Scripture does not describe and give answers to the exact circumstances of our lives. In those moments, we have a choice. Will we become disillusioned, anxious, or resentful? Or rather, will we be like St. Joseph and his father Abraham and allow our faith to be the answer and the foundation for God’s promise in our lives?

Megan Silas is a Lay Passionist at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20
Matthew 23:1-12

Reflection:

We are in the second week of Lent and our readings for today immerse us even more deeply into the mystery of God’s mercy and compassionate love.  But gratefully, we are also shown a better way to make a difference where it can really count.  Let’s revisit the people’s plaintive plea from the book of Deuteronomy:

 “Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments!  We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.  We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day…”

We are “shamefaced”, so painfully aware of our sins and transgressions against all that is good and holy.  And so, we cry out to God above and plead for God’s mercy and forgiveness.  This cry out to the Lord is so very appropriate for all of us today as we see the horrid and tyrannical transgressions against God’s love and justice so present in our own land and in the world itself!  Repeatedly, in the psalm response for today’s Eucharist, we hear ourselves chanting, “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins!”

And how does the Lord respond?  The answer is so clear as we listen to the message proclaimed in the Gospel of Luke.  Be merciful as our Father in Heaven is merciful.  Don’t judge and condemn others.  Forgive and love one another.  How can we expect to receive God’s mercy and love when we refuse to offer the same thing to one another!

What I most appreciate about the readings from the Liturgy today is that what seems so overwhelming when we view all the evil around us can be transformed so simply if we only do what the Lord has asked of us from the very beginning.  Love one another; forgive and be merciful.  Then we will know mercy and love ourselves, and the world will not be the same!  It just has to start with each of us in our own way.  If we want the Lord to be kind and merciful to us, shouldn’t we all do the same for one another?  It has to begin somewhere.  It has to begin with us, right here and right now!

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

Scripture:

Daniel 9:4b-10
Luke 6:36-38

Reflection:

Today’s readings could fittingly be described as a “crash course” in Christianity because they tell us everything we need to know: We are sinners. God is forgiving, compassionate, and merciful. And we are called to be the same by extending to others the mercy and forgiveness God lavishly and unstintingly bestows upon us.

The first reading from the Book of Daniel gets straight to the point: “We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and laws.” That heartfelt confession strips away any consoling illusion of innocence, any soothing pretense of undefiled goodness and virtue. When we hear those words (or whisper them silently) our own failures to do good are suddenly and painfully remembered. We recall times we did something that wounded a neighbor we were given to love. We ruefully recollect little betrayals; thoughtless acts born in bitterness, anger, or resentment; or simply the countless occasions we had a chance to love and didn’t bother. No wonder we find ourselves nodding in assent when the people unanimously exclaim that “we are shamefaced even to this day.”

Thankfully, that is not the end of the story because, as today’s psalm response continually reiterates, God does “not deal with us according to our sins.” Despite our persistent waywardness, despite our almost chronic hardness of heart, the God we reject and betray loves us all the same, responding to our sin with endless mercy, compassion, and love.

We show our gratitude by offering that same compassion, forgiveness, and love whenever we can to whomever we can. When we do, we fulfill Jesus’ command in today’s gospel: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” To take that summons to heart, and to live by it day-after-day, is to know the abundant new life that is found in being a recovering sinner.

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 of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 9:28b-36

Reflection:

Last week, we reflected on the temptation of Jesus in the desert, when the devil tempted Jesus to betray His true self; to serve Himself instead of being obedient to the Father’s plan, coming to serve rather than to be served. We reflected on our own temptation to be false to who we are, and our call to be true to who God created us to be.

Just as the Gospel reading for the First Sunday of Lent is always the account of Jesus being tempted in the desert, the Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Lent is always the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop. This year we have Luke’s account (Luke 9:28b – 36). At the Transfiguration, Peter and James and John get a glimpse of the fullness of Jesus that is to come. During the temptation, Jesus was tempted to betray His true self. Here, Jesus’ true self is revealed. When Jesus is transfigured, a voice from heaven declares, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” Luke tells us that on the mountaintop, Moses and Elijah appear and speak “of the exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.” Jesus reveals everything about being the Son of the Father in His Passion, death, and Resurrection. I think Peter, James and John do not speak of this at the time was because they didn’t fully understand what it meant until Easter, or even Pentecost.

Just as Jesus’ true self was revealed on the mountain, our true selves are to be revealed in the world. As I was thinking about this, I thought of the song, “Child of God”: “If anybody asks you who I am, who I am, who I am; if anybody asks you who I am, tell him I’m a child of God.” I also thought of Philippians 4:5: “Your kindness should be known to all.” There is also 1 Peter 3:15: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you a reason for your hope.” There is another old song: “and they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love; yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” And again, there is this refrain: “If anybody asks you, where I am going, where I am going, soon. I’m goin’ up yonder…I’m goin’ up yonder to be with my Lord.”

We are called to live our lives in such a way that reveals that we do believe that we are indeed children of God; that, in following Jesus, we are willing to show kindness to everyone, and demonstrate our love for each other and for the world, in working for justice and peace. We are to live as people of hope, helping now to building up the kingdom, and looking forward to being with our Lord in heaven.

To be true to who we are, we need God’s grace. We need to be open to God transfiguring us, to be “the change we want to see.”

May our lives be a revelation of God’s love in Jesus Christ. May we do our part in helping “transfigure” our world into the place God created it to be.

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

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 26:16-19
Matthew 5:43-48

Reflection:

Lenten Growth:  Beyond the Ordinary

Our Lenten journey continues…and today’s Scriptures offer insights into the growth that is part and parcel of Lent’s encouragement of renewed prayer, penance, and almsgiving / service. 

Our selection from Deuteronomy highlights Moses’ words of encouragement to the people of his day – and us:  walk in God’s ways, observe God’s commandments, listen to God’s voice.  Moses reminds us that God loves us as His sacred people, with special dignity.  We’re encouraged to foster this special “covenant” dignity / relationship in our every thought, word, and deed.  Simple!  And yet a challenge.

The Gospel selection from Matthew 5 relates Jesus challenging us to grow beyond the “minimum” standard of effort:  to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.  Jesus even spells out some of what that means, what growth is entailed:  …love our enemies…pray for those who persecute us…greet everyone…be perfect!  As we continue our Lenten Gospel pondering, we see Jesus backing up his words with his deeds…to the ultimate gift of Himself in love as he dies upon the Cross.  For we 21^st Century Christians, that’s a tall challenge!  And with God’s grace this Lent…it’s doable!

These days of Lent encourage us to grow in love, as individuals and as the Church.  Jesus invites us to grow beyond the fears and pessimism and selfishness that limit our love today – to see and love as God sees and loves each of us, sisters and brothers in God’s family.  As Jesus notes, the sun shines on the whole world, and the rain falls on the just and the unjust; no part of creation is excluded from God’s love.  Our love is to be all-inclusive.  May our focused Lenten experiences of prayer, penance, and almsgiving / service encourage abundant growth in our love of God, neighbor, and ourselves! 

A prayer from fellow Passionist, Fr. Victor Hoagland CP, guides us:

Lord, teach me the love you call me to,
The love sun-like, shining on all,
The love rain-like, falling on any ground,
Looking for no response or return.
Show me the love in the great word you spoke,
The dark wood of your cross.
I learn love slowly, Lord…teach me.
Amen.

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:

Ezekiel 18:21-28
Matthew 5:20-26

Reflection:

In recent weeks, we’ve encountered Jesus’s sharp critique of hypocrisy, mainly directed at the religious leaders of his time. In modern English, he called them phonies, lip-servers and imposters. This naturally prompts a difficult question: How susceptible to hypocrisy are we, ourselves? It’s a question worth wrestling with because the answer is often “darn right susceptible.”

Our faith provides us with a powerful moral compass, a guide. We think of the Ten Commandments, which are foundational principles. However, the recent Gospel readings from Matthew go deeper, refining that compass with challenges that touch upon the honest truth of our actions – from basic laws to acts of mercy, rites, and rituals.

Let’s return to the heart of hypocrisy. It’s easy to ask, ‘Do we only help people experiencing poverty when others are watching? Do we repay loans merely to maintain a good credit score?’ Our integrity can sometimes be conditional, limited by a desire for approval or self-aggrandizement. We all have moments where our actions don’t perfectly align with our so-called beliefs.

In our contemporary Western society, where secularization has significantly impacted religious institutions, the public discourse on morality can get awfully thin. While honesty may earn widespread criticism, it underscores the difficulty of living authentically in a world that often bows to amoral freedom over any genuine moral compass.

Consider the commandment, ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.’ Jesus means more than simple lies. In our current climate, we see the proliferation of fact-less statements and the unjust portrayal of historical figures, often justified by a distorted sense of ‘the greater good.’ We must ask ourselves, what does such deliberate deception mean? What impact does it have on our conscience, never mind our souls?

Similarly, ‘Thou shalt not steal’ extends far beyond swiping cash from a wallet. What about broken promises, unpaid pledges, or the opportunistic use of bankruptcy laws?

We often fall short. We all grapple with the tension between our ideals and our actions. Let’s consider how we can cultivate greater authenticity and integrity. How can we move from simply performing religious acts to genuinely embodying the values we profess? How can we gear our actions to reflect the light of our faith truly? How, indeed, can we save our souls?

Jack Dermody is president of Share Our Gifts, Inc., a proactive group founded by Passionist Alumni dedicated to serving the poor and suffering. He is also editor of CrossRoads, the newsletter for the Passionist Alumni Association. He lives in Glendale, Arizona. 

Scripture:

Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25
Matthew 7:7-12

Reflection:

Several years ago, the husband of a dear friend was hospitalized suddenly in serious condition. Before taking him to surgery, the surgeon told my friend that he couldn’t guarantee a good outcome. When I arrived, the atmosphere in the waiting room felt quite chaotic. As you can imagine, my friend and her daughters were shocked as they tried to digest the news. It so happened that same morning the Gospel was the one we have today. Before leaving for the hospital, I took my daily scripture prayer book, thinking that it might be a source of hope and consolation.

During the long hours of waiting periodically my friend would ask me to read the Gospel to her. I remember the sensation of being suspended in time as we waited and prayed with the Scripture, “Ask and it will be given to you. . .” (v.7a). Thankfully, our prayers for a good outcome were answered that night.

About two years ago, we prayed for the healing of a dear young man just shy of 17 years old suffering from a malignant brain tumor. Our community had been praying for him from infancy as he courageously fought –and won— the battles along his journey until he finally succumbed to the disease.

This felt like a gut check to our faith in God and prayer. We may often feel unheard or “not good enough” to have our particular petitions answered. No doubt we have all experienced both the euphoria of answered prayer—in the manner of our petition, and the disappointment of a perceived silence in the unanswered petition.

These situations provide no straightforward solutions or definitive answers. They call for deepening our faith in God’s wisdom and presence precisely when we don’t feel it possible. Trusting that our heavenly Father is not giving us a “stone” and withholding the “bread” when we ask (v.9a) is an act of faith in God’s providence and grace. It is choosing to believe in the bigger picture that God alone can see.  Surrendering to the mystery of human life in all its joys and sorrows is the ultimate expression of faith. Never a passive offering, it is an active and ongoing engagement with the Spirit of God in prayer.

Like the Psalm suggests, “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me; you built up strength within me” (138:3). Therefore, strengthened by our prayer, let us hold fast to faith and trust that we will always receive “bread” from our heavenly Father in whatever form that takes. Amen.

Jean Bowler is a member of the Ministry Team at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Jonah 3:1-10
Luke 11:29-32

Reflection:

The Old Testament reading from the Book of Jonah describes Nineveh as “an enormously large city: it took three days to go through it”.  In fact, for some number of years, the city of Nineveh was the largest city in the world.  However, the term “city” used in the Old Testament frequently referred to a regional area of relatively cohesive population under the rule of a single potentate, in the case of the first reading, the king of Nineveh.  So, the three-day transit makes sense. 

The Book of Jonah also depicts Nineveh as a wicked city worthy of destruction.  After Jonah’s perilous ordeal in the belly of a great fish, which resulted from his own disobedience to God by trying to flee from the mission that had God had sent him on, Jonah prayed and repented and moved on to the City of Nineveh to preach to the Ninevites of their coming destruction.  Upon hearing of Jonah’s warning from God, the Ninevites fasted and repented for 40 days.  As a result, God spared the city.

Five centuries later, Jesus told a gathering crowd, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.”  The sign of Jonah is a reference to Jonah’s three days and nights in the belly of a great fish.  Jesus is using this analogy to foreshadow His own death, burial and resurrection which transforms the Old Testament wrath of God to the New Testament covenant of salvation.

So here we are more than 2,000 years after the life and death of Christ.  If Jesus came amidst us today, would He consider this “an evil generation”?  Look around yourself at the global scene.  What would your own assessment be?  Obviously, in the context of our fallen nature, every generation is to some extent “an evil generation”.  There are good and saintly people and there are foul and demonic people.  That was likely the case in the city of Nineveh.  The question that we each need to ask ourselves: Am I a contributor to an evil generation?  Or somehow through the grace of God, am I able to turn my back on the evil within me and around me and achieve the mercy of God that the Ninevites did. 

Like the Ninevites, we are now in the 40-day season of Lent.  Perhaps we can follow the example of the wise King of Nineveh.  All, from the King to his lowest subjects, humbled themselves in sackcloth and ashes.  Seeing their repentance, God did not carry out the punishment he had intended for them.  Rather he relented and had mercy.  During this season of Lent, let us rise from our thrones, lay aside our robes, cover ourselves with sackcloth and sit in ashes for 40 days.  And let us remember, that notwithstanding our meager Lenten sacrifices, no matter their minimal consequential impact on our daily lives, God is indeed a God of mercy and forgiveness.  He only desires that we approach Him daily with a contrite heart and a promise to turn against our evil generation to bring the Gospel message to His people and to live out the Gospel message ourselves. 

Doesn’t God, through our holy Mother Church, afford us so many opportunities to turn our back on sin and return to Him rejoicing in His wondrous love and mercy?  Thank you, dear Lord.

May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts.

Bill Berger has had a lifelong relationship with the Passionist Family.  Bill and his wife, Linda, are currently leaders of the Community of Passionist Partners (CPPs) in Houston, Texas.