Daily Scripture

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11
Luke 4:31-37

Reflection:

As the saying goes, “nothing good happens after midnight.”  And that is true; so many criminal acts seem to take place under the cover of darkness. 

In today’s first reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians, that image of light and darkness are in play.  In his counsel to the community of Thessalonica—one of the first communities Paul evangelized in Macedonia and probably the recipients of the first of the several pastoral letters he would write—the apostle reminds them that they are “children of the light and children of the day.”  They are “not of the night or of darkness.”

The “light” that Paul speaks of in his letter is that inner illumination—that grace—that has been given to them through their faith in Jesus Christ, who out of love “died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him.”

The metaphor of “light” and “darkness” is used elsewhere in the New Testament.  In John’s Gospel, Jesus himself declares that he is the “light of the world.” (John 9:5) as he brings sight to the man born “blind.”  In the story that follows, we observe that the “man born blind” begins to “see” deeply—not only regaining physical sight but beginning to grasp the beauty and power of Jesus himself.  Meanwhile, the religious leaders grow in their resistance to Jesus and become more “blind.”  This dramatic account ends with Jesus’ paradoxical saying: “I came into the world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind” (John 9:39).

Earlier in John’s Gospel, Jesus’ words refer to light and darkness in a manner similar to Paul.  “Everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.  But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God” (John 3:20-21).  Similarly in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has little patience for religious hypocrisy, when one “performs pious acts for people to see” but on the inside one harbors a very different spirit (see Matthew 6:1).

It is obvious that for Paul, as for John’s Gospel, “light” and “darkness” or “day” and “night” are metaphors referring not just to physical light and darkness but to a person’s transparency of spirit, a sense of integrity that does not fear scrutiny.  Each of us, of course, have our own personal thoughts and feelings, some of them inarticulate and to be shared only with those we love and trust.  Sometimes, we know, people share “too much information.”  A well-known and very prolific Chicago author was described as “having no unpublished thoughts”!

But we are also sadly aware these days of how many sinful actions committed by civic and religious leaders take place under the cover of “darkness.”   The reading today from Paul’s Letter to the Thessalonians urges them to resist living under the cover of darkness.  God’s grace and the example of Jesus enable us to live in the daylight, unafraid to be our true selves.

Fr. Donald Senior, C.P. is President Emeritus and Professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological Union.  He lives at the Passionist residence in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11
Luke 4:31-37

Reflection:

There’s a lot of stuff in my house right now.  It used to be that there was some room here, but in the time of pandemic, the home has also become my office, my studio, a school, a dance & rehearsal hall, a bar, a restaurant… There have been so many new items I’ve needed to add to the house in order to make all of these things work it just makes my head swim!  And with a small place already overrun with my daughter’s and my clothing and other possessions, there’s just no room for anything else.

And for me, there’s a struggle that arises with this.  See, there’s just so much in need of attention that it really lays a heavyweight.  Move this, clean that.  Adjust here, feed that animal.  When was garbage day?  Oh, and the Church needs this right away.  Puccinelli, your daughter is calling you… You need to move that microphone to get past the piano so you can get into her room…  Don’t forget to record that piece and take that video… Even though most of it is necessary for both work and life, the fact that my living space has transformed into a home to so many other functions that it has become an almost overwhelming darkness.

It’s not unlike my heart.  There are things I store there from years gone by.  There are ancient pains on to which I hold that clutter and take up valuable space.  Dust and debris of past hurts and horrors which only serve as demons that eat away at and erode my joy, my love, my spirit, my passion.

You too?

In today’s Gospel (Luke 4:31-37), Jesus was teaching in the synagogue when a man possessed with a demon yelled, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”  Jesus said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” and the evil spirit left him, doing no harm.  The people who saw this said, “He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”

I think we all have “unclean spirits” which take up residence inside us.  Demons of our yesterdays can possess us like cluttered items can steal our peaceful homes and hearts.  But God wants so much for us to be free that Jesus silences them and commands they depart from us.  In a world of hostility, violence, and hate, Jesus calls us to love one another and live in harmony and peace.  It is this great Love of God that is the true vaccine we need most in our lives.

Cleaning out our hearts can quite a challenge, but it is in the emptying ourselves of these things which make us able to create space for good… Space for God.

Dear Lord – thank you for wanting us to be so full of joy, and full of love.  Grant us the strength to allow Jesus to dispel the dark shadows that live in our lives and replace it only with the great light of your most holy presence. 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:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Luke 4:16-30

Reflection:

I remember when I was asked to lead an ACTS retreat here in Texas. The ACTS apostolate has brought many thousands of people back to the faith. Now, I’m not one to see visions, but one night around 2:00 a.m., as we got closer to the actual date of the retreat that our team had worked so hard to prepare, I awoke to a black cloud enveloping me, and I could sense the evil it contained. I jumped out of bed and yelled, not for my husband who was just inches away from me, but for Jesus to protect me. I don’t remember my exact words, something along the lines of, “Jesus, save me!” The cloud disappeared, and after a bit of a calming period, I returned to sleep.

When we begin to move into ministry, we know Jesus as Preacher as our example, who proclaimed the promises of God amid those who knew him in Nazareth. And we know the evil one wants nothing more than to tear down whatever good we are attempting to do. He will turn those who know us away, as happened to Jesus. The need of prayer for those entering ministry, especially, Priests, Deacons, and religious, is vital to their safety and their peace, giving them the ability to do God’s work, and to pursue a loving and merciful God with their whole heart and soul, while protecting them from the works of the devil. There is always an opportunity to enter spiritual warfare, a spiritual attack on our souls, as we try to do God’s work. But we must be steadfast and persistent in our prayers.

We know what Jesus overcame for us. He never did the things he did to be successful – he did them in a quest of faithfulness to the Father, his Father.

One of my favorite songs, He Has Anointed Me, comes from today’s Gospel reading. I close with the lyrics and ask you to meditate on the blessing of these words:

To bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the broken heart, He has anointed me.
To proclaim liberty to captives, release the prisoners, He has anointed me.

To announce a year of favor, to comfort those who mourn, He has anointed me.

To give to them the oil of gladness and share a mantle of joy, He has anointed me.

The Spirit of God is upon me, He has anointed me.

Patty Masson supports the Passionists from Spring, Texas.

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 4: 1-2, 6-8
James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27
Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Reflection:

“Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you . . .” James 1:21

One of the things that amazes me about reading Sacred Scripture, is that no matter how many times I have read a passage something new comes to light. It never gets old. For me, the Sacred Scripture is the seed that is planted in my heart as I listen to it at the Liturgy of the Mass or reading it privately. Hopefully, that seed is growing and producing much fruit through my teaching and in my relationships with my husband, friends, colleagues, and students.

All three readings today look at what we do with the Word. In the first reading, Moses is encouraging the people to follow the words of God’s statutes and decrees, commandments, these help the people to become closer to God and allow them to become a “great nation” full of “wisdom and intelligence” because they put their trust in the commandments of God. The flip side of this is found in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus is calling out the Pharisees for becoming so caught up in the Law that they ignore what is in their hearts. Over time the people have forgotten what the Law was really for, growing closer to God. In the Letter from James, we read to “be doers of the word and not hearers only.” That the word is not just to hear but to put into action. What do I do with what I hear in Scripture? What is God calling me to do? How is it helping me to grow closer to God?

When we read Sacred Scripture and “humbly welcome the word”, something is planted in us and it is up to us to nurture that seed and to wait and see what plant comes forth. Is it Faith? Hope? or Love? Gratitude, fortitude, or acceptance? It may be forgiveness or the willingness to forgive. Many gifts await us when we plant many seeds in the garden of our heart and tend to it.

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

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 4:9-11
Matthew 25:14-30

Reflection:

Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church.  Augustine’s early life was colored with wild times and reckless living.  His mother, Saint Monica prayed fervently for his conversion to a better way of life.  After his conversion, Augustine went on to become a renowned theologian and prolific writer.  He was also a skilled preacher and eloquent speaker. I think it took a lot of courage for Augustine to be open to and accept God’s plan for his life.  This journey to a whole new way of life must have been fearful and daunting as he accepted Christianity which was so dramatically different from his early life.

It seems to me that we have two examples of how fear can be good or not so good in our readings today.  We have Augustine who, while he may have wrestled with the angst that fear played in his life, was able to replace it with faith and believe that the journey he was immersed in would lead to good.  On the other hand, we hear in today’s gospel about the man who was given one talent which he buried in fear of his master, resulting in a severe reprisal from his master.  In this way, this servant did not act in faith, trusting that this talent had the potential to make life better for himself and his master.

For almost two years now our country has lived with Covid-19 and now a new variant Delta.  We have lived in fear of illness and death, of change, and the inconvenience that comes along with our changing world. We are living in fear in our neighborhoods, churches, schools, families and communities besot by violence from outside and inside factors.  People are afraid to attend church, go grocery shopping, enjoy social activities, send their children to school.  Fear seems at times to have a crippling effect on all of us!

If we are people of faith, we must ask ourselves, how can we move beyond paralyzing fear to healthy fear that enables us to live as Jesus calls. The acclamation found in the gospel of John today gives us the directive we need:

“I give you a new commandment:  love one another as I have loved you.”

Our faith in a loving God leads us to embrace a healthy sense of fear which leads us to confront those paralyzing fears that are keeping us hostage in our churches, family, community and world.  Let us take the initiative to organize that block party to reconnect with our neighbors. Let us join the racial solidarity for justice committee and actively work for justice for all people. Let us gather as a family, both domestic and church, to listen to each other and support one another as we put aside unhealthy fears and welcome the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our sisters and brothers in Christ.

May our journey from fear to new life be enriched with these words of Saint Augustine

“Since love grows within you, so beauty grows.  For love is the beauty of the soul.”

Saint Augustine, pray for us!

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

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Matthew 25:1-13

Reflection:

Today we read the parable of the talents. A talent is a very large sum of money and a heavy piece that we could compare it to a gold brick. These talents are doled out to three servants. The first multiplies his investment of five talents, pleasing the rich man. The second had three talents and doubled his investment as well. But the third had only one and buried his, thinking that holding on to it would please his master. It did not.

Think of these talents given by our master, our God, as the sum of the gifts He has given you. He shares his love and his mercy with us, to use and share in the mission He has given each of us…to proclaim His gospel, to be a living gospel in the unique way He is leading you. Your personal talents were a gift from God to use to bring honor and glory to God and to lead as many to heaven as we can.  If you tightly hold your treasures and talents in your own hand, there is no open hand in which God can add more.  The proper and faithful use of those talents give life to others, give honor and glory to God, and joy in our own earthly life. God, in turn, will increase those gifts. And, in the end, we can look forward to receiving the fullness of the kingdom.

Don’t squander your gifts. If we properly utilize these gifts in the time we are given, and if we are bold and fearless in their utilization, we will see the glory of God, and will dwell in the house of the Lord forever! Hallelujah!!

Patty and Ed Masson support the Passionists from Spring, Texas.

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 3:7-13
Matthew 24:42-51

Reflection:

In today’s gospel, we get two drastically different pictures of servants put in charge of the owner’s estate while he is away. One is careful, generous, and watchful. The other mistreats the other servants, is self-indulgent, and unprepared for the owner’s return. While this parable certainly is meant to help us think about the end times when the Lord returns, it provides us today an opportunity to reflect on our relationship to the Earth.

All Creation has been entrusted to us. So, what are we doing with it? Destroying it or caring for it? Using it all up so nothing remains for the next generations? Sharing its bounty generously or hoarding the riches for ourselves? How shall we respond when the Lord of all Creation returns and asks us, “What have you done to the Earth that I entrusted to you?”

The 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” is an exquisite reflection on connecting our love of God to our love of neighbor and to our love of Creation. Just as we cannot say we love God yet turn a blind eye to those in need, we cannot say we love God and turn a blind eye to the denigration of the Earth.

We might imagine the wicked servant offering an excuse, “But I didn’t know when you were returning.” We know we are being hard on this Earth. Our actions do have an impact on Creation, which includes how we care for the poor, the sick, and the stranger. The call to “repent and believe in the Good News” includes, as Pope John Paul II said, an ecological conversion.

“Disregard for the duty to cultivate and maintain a proper relationship with my neighbor, for whose care and custody I am responsible, ruins my relationship with my own self, with others, with God and with the earth. When all these relationships are neglected, when justice no longer dwells in the land, the Bible tells us that life itself is endangered.” (Laudato Si’, no. 70) It is for us to decide which of the two servants we shall model ourselves after.

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.

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
Matthew 23:27-32

Reflection:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
But inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.”  -Matthew 23:27

Harsh words.  They conclude the litany of denunciation Jesus addresses to the scribes and Pharisees in chapter 23 of Matthew. It’s tempting to read these words and think of all those we consider to be hypocritical “scribes and Pharisees” today.  Given the extreme polarization we’re experiencing as a country right now, I imagine each of us is likely considered part of this category by someone! 

So that got me thinking… “How am I like a whitewashed tomb?  What kind of dead bones am I carrying inside myself?”  I thought of a recent conversation.

The Passionists of Holy Cross Province are currently crafting a statement on cultural and racial diversity to offer guidance and development to Province ministries. Naturally, diverse members of the Passionist family are being consulted in this process. My sense, along with most of my white colleagues, was that this statement will help move us toward an inclusive multi-cultural and racially diverse Passionist family.  And then, it was gently pointed out by a Passionist of color that we already are a multi-cultural and racially diverse Province.  When we genuinely affirm this, he observed, the question becomes “How does this reality call us to conversion and change as a Province?”

In a moment, I was aware—once again—of the narrow focus I have, simply from being a member of the dominant culture.  It was like a light went on in the tomb, illuminating the dead bones.  And God’s words in Ezekiel 37 echoed in my ears: “Prophesy over these bones, say to them ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!’ Thus says the Lord, ‘I will put my Spirit into you so that you may come to life.’”

Today’s psalm assures us that there is nowhere we can flee from the Lord, even in the darkness of our inner tomb, amidst the dead bones. God’s hand is always guiding us, holding us fast, night shining as day (Ps 139). My work is to say “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!”  And to open to the movement of God’s word within me, to allow my narrow focus to be stretched wide by the Spirit.  

When we do, we can surely trust in the words of 1 Thessalonians: “the Word of God is now at work in [us] who believe.”

Lissa Romell is the Administrator at St. Vincent Strambi Community in Chicago, Illinois.