Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Leviticus 25:1, 8-17
Matthew 14:1-12

Reflection:

When it’s gone, it’s gone.

Some of you may be surprised to find out that I’ve long been an avid long-distance bicyclist.  A short ride for me is about 35 to 40 miles, and I do really like to ride through the centers of the cities and towns when I go on my rides.  Near my home, there are people I know who are walking their dogs or just out on a morning stroll.  And it’s so great that I get to see them (!), yell hi to them, and ring my bell as I pedal past on my trusty bike (oh, and my bike – her name is ‘Tilly,’ by the way).

Now, in the town nearest where I live, there’s an assisted living facility smack on the main drag.  Right up close to the front window, every morning, sits a gentleman in a mask just watching people go by.  I don’t know his name, his family, or anything at all about him, outside of I see him there, in the window, every single morning.

I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but while riding by many months ago, I waved at him.  Just put my hand up as I floated by and waved.  And something tremendously beautiful happened.  In that exact moment, he straightened right up, his eyes brightened, brows launched toward his hairline, and he sprouted an enormous smile, and excitedly waved right back.  So now, every morning when I leave for my ride, even if my plan is to go in the opposite direction, I’ll be sure to roll by that facility and wave to him.  And even though it’s been tough to tell from behind his mask, he always seems to be joyed to see me.

One morning, though, as I rode by, he wasn’t there.  And then the next, and the next… It’s been quite some time now since I’ve seen him, and I’ve come to realize that the little joy I received out of waving to this mystery-man has likely come to an end forever.  Perhaps he’s just moved, or perhaps he’s passed away – but it’s been long enough now that I feel fairly certain I won’t see him again… and it makes me sad a little.

In today’s Gospel (Mark 6:17-29), we hear how the daughter of Herodias danced for Herod & his guests.  After she was done, prompted by her mother, she said, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”  Herod did as she requested, and silenced John’s incredible evangelization on this earth forever. 

When it’s gone, it’s gone.

In a month or so will be the anniversary of my father’s passing into Eternal Life.  I know exactly how many years, as it coincides nearly exactly with the date of my daughter’s birth (yes, that was a particularly messed up weekend).  The passing of a loved one, or my waving to the Gentleman in the Window, or the cutting the head off of John the Baptist, is something that you can’t reverse. 

When it’s gone, it’s gone.

We cut the heads off of beautiful things constantly.  Sometimes it’s in the simple dismissal of the words someone is trying to share with us.  It could be walking away from the call of God to serve.  Or it could be the lack of willingness to connect with a new person.  It could be getting angry at someone and cutting them out of your life.  Or it could even be an action that we or someone else takes that makes it impossible to reconcile.  All these things, and more, are like chopping the head off of gifts that would likely contain a wealth untold.

So how do we fix it?  Well, I think it’s probably a very unique journey for each person, and for each event or circumstance.  But I will tell you this one thing that I’ve learned from all the mistakes I’ve ever made:

If you want to know the will of God, always lean on the side of love. 

And Friends, if we can do that, we’ve got a pretty good shot at getting it just as close to right as we can.

Here’s waving to you, Mystery Man.  Oh – and Pa – I love you and miss you.

Peace and love to you all — 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:

Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
Matthew 13:54-58

Reflection:

The unbelieving. Can you imagine having Jesus in your midst and not believing what wisdom he shares? Are we trusting, believing and hopefully ready to receive this kind of wisdom from the Son of God? 

There seems to be so much to know about Jesus, and these folks apparently were afraid of the wisdom he wanted to share with them. He was just a common son of a carpenter, what could he possibly know that the rest of the people in this town didn’t know themselves? One thing he did know was that we are all the same, and whatever sense of pride or self-righteousness that the people felt was unnecessary – not one person was any better or any smarter than another.

Jesus expects us to heed the wisdom that we receive, to share the words of the Savior and his disciples with as many people as we can! We can’t be so arrogant as to think that we know it all, because we never will. And we can’t turn away from the wisdom of others. Be smart with what you are told, or what you hear. Pray, research, pray, discern. Pray for the grace of Christ to understand what comes your way. Don’t allow wisdom to be irksome!!

Patty Masson supports the Passionists from Spring, Texas.

Feast of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus

Scripture:

Exodus 40: 16-21, 34-38
John 11: 19-27

Reflection:

In the first reading, from the Book of Exodus, Moses is completing the instructions given to him before this passage. He carefully follows the directions and builds the “Dwelling” where the ark will be placed with the Commandments inside of the ark. In Hebrew, tabernacle is mishkan meaning, residence or dwelling place. (Look it up on the Web and you will see how elaborate this dwelling was. I used “dwelling from the book of Exodus” for my search and clicked on images.)  The “Dwelling” is a new creation. A new place for God to be with the People of Israel. It replaces Mount Sinai. Once completed then the cloud descends upon it. Again, there is a change. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire at night now becomes one at the end of Exodus. The cloud fills the Dwelling with the “glory of the Lord” making it a holy place. When the cloud filled the Dwelling, Moses was not able to go into the Dwelling, unlike Mount Sinai where Moses could go but the people could not. The cloud image also carries over into the Gospels accounts of Jesus’ Transfiguration, “Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them. . .” Mark 9:7. God then tells the others the Jesus is his Son and they need to listen to him.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus and Martha have a conversation where Martha makes several faith statements about her belief “in the resurrection on the last day”. The last statement she makes is that she believes “you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” In the Gospels, when Jesus is healing someone, it is through that person’s faith or the faith of others that the person is healed. Martha, a woman who is portrayed as to busy to pray in the Gospel of Luke, is the one who has faith that Jesus is going to heal her brother or raise him from the dead in the Gospel of John. Jesus responds to her with one of the “I Am” statements:

I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

Jesus is the “dwelling” where all who believe can enter. No one who believes is kept out as in the Old Testament accounts of the “Dwelling” or the Temple built by Solomon. No veils or curtains. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus had great faith to believe that Jesus is the Son of God through their individual responses. Martha with her statement of faith. Mary with her awareness of the presence of Christ that she felt moved to sit at his feet and listen to his words. We don’t know about Lazarus but certainly he and Jesus were close friends that Jesus was moved by his death. These three Saints, who were in the presence of Christ, certainly give us hope in the Resurrection with their words and actions that are recorded in the Gospels.

How is Christ speaking to me today through the Scriptures?

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

Scripture:

Exodus 34:29-35
Matthew 13:44-46

Reflection:

The journey through the desert to the promised land for Moses and the Israelites was not easy!  There were long days filled with uncertainty. They had suffered enough in captivity and just wanted life to be easier. Moses was a good and faithful servant and God rewarded his dedication by never abandoning him or his people.  During this time, Moses was blessed to have many encounters with the Lord.  These special times gave him and the Israelite community the hope and promise they needed to stay on the journey.

I think that we all can experience similar life-changing experiences in our relationship with the Lord if we are open to allowing God to work in our lives.  There are so many ‘God moments’ in our daily life that we often do not even recognize. There are the many little kindnesses of strangers whether in the parking lot, grocery store, busy traffic or so many other places our feet trod in a day.  I just returned from ten days of visiting family and friends in Michigan and Chicago.  The days flew by filled with Lake Charlevoix beach time, lighthouse tours on Lake Michigan, hobo pies and smores around the campfire, laughter and stories shared with others.  Our time in Chicago brought more opportunities to gather with family and old friends as well as meet new ones. We were blessed to share daily Eucharist and time together with the Passionist community!  We biked, hiked to many wonderful sites in the BIG city, spent a lot of time at the shores of the BIG lake and took in the architectural tour of the city as well.  Time well spent, Deo Gratias!

As I share with you these spirit-led thoughts I feel a sense of gratitude for all the many blessings, the many ‘God encounters’ in my life and realize what a gift it is to be in relationship with the God of Moses who by his faith and radiant God-like presence was able to convey God’s message to others.

May our lives and the lives of those we encounter continue to radiate the presence and love of God in our lives!  Happy Summer journey!

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

Scripture:

Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28
Matthew 36-43

Reflection:

Oh, if only life was this easy to understand and correct. How many of us have worked in that heavenly garden of a place? You are blessed beyond measure, you receive so many gifts of the Spirit, and you are hoping and praying that what God wants you to share with others is what you are contributing. You understand the sacrifice of what you do – time away from your family, hours that you dedicate to service that usually pile up all too quickly. You look forward to going to work every day, and you can’t believe the day’s hours have passed because you have found so much joy in your daily efforts.

But, then there are the weeds. Those folks who see nothing wrong with taking advantage of the system, taking a few free hours here, a few free trinkets there. And we are not usually given the opportunity of seeing those wrongdoers removed from the garden. Not always are our warnings heeded of what we know or see, and so the joy of the garden is snuffed out, slowly giving way to the evil that begins to linger in it. 

It is so incredibly easy to become downhearted, depressed, or sad when you have lived through an experience like this. You believe that you are doing things the right way, going through the proper channels, but there will always be the weeds of the garden that want to snuff you out. But we have to stand firm in our belief in a loving and merciful God. The parable in today’s gospel is the reality of good and bad. I have been guilty of allowing others to “steal my joy” in their badness, and it has thrown me into the throngs of depression and sadness rather than the goodness I should be searching and working toward. It has affected my ministry in the past and numbed me to my faith. 

Our own hearts must be open to God’s protection for us from evil. He loves us so very much, and we know that there will always be someone who wants to control what others can contribute or experience in ministry. Open your hearts to the Gospel and be the flower – don’t be the weed!

Patty Masson supports the Passionists from Spring, Texas.

Scripture:

Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34
Matthew 13:31-35

Reflection:

If you are old enough to remember the comedian Flip Wilson from the 1960s and 1970s, you’ll recall his comedic signature: “The devil made me do it.” He got a lot of mileage out of that line. Why? Because, as is true with all good comedy, there is an element of truth in it. We don’t often know why we do stupid things. It must be the devil.

Today’s reading from Exodus finds Moses coming down from Mount Sinai with the tablets inscribed with ten commandments, commandments that signify the people’s covenant relationship with God. What does he find? A golden calf, an idol, this image upon which the people have placed their hope.

His own brother Aaron says to Moses, “You know well enough how prone the people are to evil,” as if that were an excuse. He could have said just as easily, “The devil made me do it.”

Without a doubt, the Israelites were tired of wandering the desert after leaving Egypt. They were frustrated, maybe even angry, so they create the proverbial “golden calf” to assuage that frustration. It is so tempting to off-load that pent-up anger to someone or something else, creating an idol upon which to place hopes for a better life, rather than to take personal responsibility for their lives.

All around us today we see evidence of the frustration people feel. It was there before the pandemic, but Covid-19 exacerbated people’s sense of being lost and alienated, which has fueled our anger. We are short-tempered. We lash out at others. We demonize others who are not like us. We, too, look for an idol in whom to place our hope – maybe a person, maybe a political party, or maybe a drug of choice.

It is telling that when called out for poor behavior, a person often says, “I’m really not a bad person. I’m not a bigot. That was not really who I am.” In other words, “The devil made me do it.” A far better thing to do might be to stand at the foot of the Cross, gaze upward, and say, “Lord, help me. I’m scared and alone and frustrated. Show me your love and mercy.”

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:

2 Kings 4:42-44
Ephesians 4:1-6
John 6:1-15

Reflection:

There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?  ~John 6:9

In today’s readings, I’m struck by the fact that this miracle of abundance, this wondrous multiplication of the loaves and feeding of the five thousand (not including women and children!), begins with a boy who has five loaves and two fish.  A child. 

The adults in the situation—the disciples who are with Jesus day in and day out, and might have perhaps by this point developed some trust in Jesus’ abilities—are flustered.  One might even imagine panicked.  “Where can we buy enough food?”  “It would take two hundred days’ wages!” “What good are these for so many?”  I think of the many times I have looked to my own resources for solutions, unaware of Jesus ever ready to work miracles.

But Jesus simply receives the boy’s gifts. And in striking similarity to the Last Supper and Eucharist, he “took the loaves, gave thanks [eucharistēsas in Greek], and distributed them.”  And all who were there, every last man, woman, and child received their fill.

Theologian Walter Brueggemann observes that many of us are habituated to a “market ideology [that] wants us to believe that the world is profane—life consists of buying and selling….But Jesus presents an entirely different kind  of economy, one infused with the mystery of abundance and a cruciform kind of generosity.”^[1]  A market ideology draws us into an economy of scarcity undergirded by fear, and competition with our neighbor.  In the mystery of abundance, incredible numbers of people are fed with food left over. And, not only that, we can also imagine that the crowd included folks from all different social and economic groups—at a time when social barriers to table fellowship were strictly upheld. This is a scene of both miraculous abundance and radical inclusiveness.

So I wonder, what are the situations today where we adults may be, like the disciples, blindly limited by our stubborn clinging to our own resources and habitual ways of thinking, oblivious to Jesus in our midst? It may seem like a bit of a jump, but I wonder if Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist, the Parkland teenagers who sparked the #NeverAgain movement, or Malala Yousafzai, the 15 year old shot in the head by the Taliban in Pakistan for daring to speak out against a ban on education for girls, are very different from the boy in John 6:9. These young people offer what they have: a sign reading “Skolstrejk för klimatet” and time every Friday;  the experience of surviving a school massacre and the determination that it not happen to another young person; the courage to speak up for the rights of girls in the face of an oppressive state.

And, even as the adults on the scene seem to be in disarray, Jesus receives their gifts, gives thanks, and offers them to all.  Over time, we have seen the gifts of each of these children miraculously multiplied—even in the face of hate and violence—into movements larger than themselves with a vision toward abundance, healing and radical inclusivity.  A “cruciform kind of generosity”, indeed.  May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts.

[To read more stories of young people who are offering their gifts, visit: https://www.washingtonpost.com/kidspost/2020/04/11/12-kids-who-are-changing-their-communities-our-world/.]

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

^[1]The Liturgy of Abundance, the Myth of Scarcity: Consumerism and Religious Life by Walter Brueggemann [https://sanantonioreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/the_liturgy_of_abundance.pdf].

Scripture:

Exodus 24:3-8
Matthew 13:24-30

Reflection:

Precious Blood

“Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls;
the other half he splashed on the altar.
Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people,
who answered, “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do.”

Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,
“This is the blood of the covenant
that the LORD has made with you.” EX 24:7

One of the most beautiful images use frequently in the Old Testament is that of blood!  In the days of antiquity, the science of biology was very undeveloped.  One thing they did observe was the close relationship between life and blood!   The Hebrew word for blood (dam) appears some 360 times in OT.  In the NT blood (haima) occurs 97 times.  For the ancients blood especially meant life or its loss meant death.  Even today we know that a loss of too much blood spells death! “Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. Deut 12:23

When Moses sprinkled blood on the altar (what belongs to God) and on the people both God and His people in a wonderful way shared the same life!  When we celebrate the Eucharist “we who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ.” Eph 2:13 . 

Jesus shares these dramatic words with us: “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.” John 6:53    This is a life of deep intimacy with Christ.  “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. John 6:56

Our eight pints of blood circulate through the heart maybe 60 times an hour, absorbing recently inhaled oxygen from the honeycombed fabric of the lungs and proceeding into the thickly muscled heart, which then shoots the enriched fluid onward to nourish the rest of our body.

Jesus mingles his Blood with ours in Communion.  Jesus unites His bl00d with ours which feeds and cleans us.   It delivers fresh oxygen and other nutrients to all 100 trillion cells of the body, flushing out carbon dioxide, ammonia and other metabolic trash.  Our blood is touched by the Blood of Jesus!  This great Sacrament fills us with the fullness of Christ, “is it not a participation (koinonia: sharing) in the blood (life) of Christ?”   -1 Corinthians 10:16

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.