Daily Scripture

Scripture: 

Hebrews 10:32-39
Mark 4:26-34

Reflection:

 “Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a great contest of suffering.” Hebrews 10:32

The readings for today are a great reminder for us that it is important to cultivate our faith. That faith is what helps us through the good times and the times we are now experiencing. Even during these days of living in a pandemic it is important to continue to take time to read and reflect on the scriptures, listen to music that inspires us or helps us to meditate. A good spiritual book is helpful as well. Feeding the soul couldn’t be more important during these months of the pandemic.

The second part of the Gospel speaks of the Kingdom of God starting as the size of a mustard seed, which is very small and yet grows into a large plant. Even during the pandemic, the Kingdom of God continues to grow through our struggle. Through our willingness to help those around us. In the midst of winter, the Church reminds us that growth happens at all times. Even in the grip of a pandemic we can grow as Church and as a person.

May these be days of hope and growth for you and your loved ones. May we all pray for one another and for those who are struggling in any way.

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

Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas

Scripture:

Hebrews 10:19-25
Mark 4:21-25

Reflection:

Today the church celebrates Saint Thomas Aquinas considered one of the Catholic Church’s greatest theologians and philosophers.  The works of Aquinas have long been used as a core of the required program of study for those seeking ordination as priests and deacons as well as those seeking formation in other disciplines in philosophy, Catholic theology, church history, liturgy and canon law.  He is regarded as the master and patron of Catholic academia. In a real sense, we have Aquinas to thank for giving us a model of how to live and love as faithful Christians no matter the deity one follows or worships.

So how are we supposed to worship and live as faithful Christians today!?  In the reading from Hebrews we hear;

            We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.

In our psalm response we hear:

            A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path.

In the Gospel from Mark, we are encouraged to let our light shine, taking care not to keep it hidden under a bushel basket.  We are reminded that there is nothing hidden and to make all things visible; that nothing is secret except to come to light.  Furthermore, we are called to listen carefully and to act accordingly.

This past week has been filled with much excitement as we said goodbye to past leadership and welcomed new leadership for our country. It is a time of hope and promise as well as anxiety and concern for the problems and issues that surround us.  Our scriptures seem to dwell on the importance of ‘light’.  The young poet laureate, Amanda Gorman, gave us this image of ‘light’ in her stirring poem, The Hill We Climb.

‘When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid.  The new dawn blooms as we free it.  For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it.  If only we’re brave enough to be it.’

The light of Christ shines brightly within each one of us.  We are called to share this light with those around us, whether it be those we agree or disagree with.  Sharing the light of Christ with others takes courage, determination, faith and love.  For so many months and years it seems we have been surrounded by the darkness of despair and negativity.  The gospel message, the message of our new leadership, the hope of the coronavirus vaccine, the sunshine that streams in my window as I write this reflection, the news of an impending birth is just some of the ways I feel bathed in the Light of Christ. What are yours!

Let us rouse one another to love and good works.  Let us keep our lamps lit and shining.  Let us always be brave to not only see the light but also to BE IT!

HAPPY AND BLESSED NEW YEAR!

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

Scripture:

Hebrews 10:11-18
Mark 4:1-20

Reflection:

Think of how you envision Jesus – the face you see, the language you would hear when you spoke to him, the look of his eyes, the gentleness of his voice. We see Jesus in a way we understand, just as Jesus speaks to those around him in parables so they will understand; he presents stories to them with things that are familiar. Being from the country and a simple craftsman, he spoke to people as he sat in a boat, speaking about seeds and planting, and they enjoyed hearing him speak.

So, in using these parables, he presents scenarios that include things that the people could relate to, making his messages easier to understand. It is Jesus’ way of making people think – not by simply giving them the answers, but causing them to ponder, reflect and think about their surroundings, their lives, the answers their hearts were searching for. I had a priest once tell me, when I asked him a specific question of scriptural understanding, to pray about my question and figure it out! That bothered me at first, but he went on to say that it was not his duty to give me the answers, but for me to discern and seek what I needed. This is what Jesus wants for his people – to grasp meaning in a way that they will understand.

So, when some of the disciples don’t understand what he is saying, he is surprised, saying “To you is granted the secret of the Kingdom of God; but to those who are outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and not perceive, listen but not understand, to avoid changing their ways and being healed!” I believe that those who truly follow the Messiah get it, and those who were not could not understand the significance of what he was trying to present.

The best explanation of this reading is what is written at the end:

Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 
Those sown among thorns are another sort. 
They are the people who hear the word, 
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things 
intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.

Patty Masson supports the Passionists from Spring, Texas.

Scripture:

2 Timothy 1:1-8 or Titus 1:1-5
Mark 3:31-35

Reflection:

A mentor many years ago gave me sage advice I have never forgotten. He urged me in my work in non-profit management to listen carefully to what people say, then look at what they do. That, he said, will tell me far more than their words.

When I had an important hire to make, of course the resumé looked impeccable. The first interview was always impressive. Then I took them to lunch. Did they acknowledge the waitstaff or say thank you when the food arrived?  Did they complain about the food or service? Were they genuinely grateful for what they had? Actions do indeed speak louder than words. We reveal our true selves in how we behave, especially when we do not think others are watching. Every weekend night during high school, as I was headed out to be with friends, my father would say, “Be a ‘G’,” meaning, be a gentleman.

So, Jesus asks, “’Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’”

We’ve experienced so much rancor and deception in these past months. So many awful words, lies, clichés, labels, and epithets strewn across the socio-political spectrum—often from religious leaders! But let’s go back to what Jesus suggests we do. Look at who’s actually doing the will of God. Who is kind and generous? Who brings peace? Who reaches out to the poor and those excluded from society? Who goes up to talk with the stranger? Who lifts the spirits of those in despair?

The gospel calls us to align our words with our actions, to put our faith into action and demonstrate the love we profess. Don’t just say it, be it!

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.

The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle

Scripture:

Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22
Mark 16:15-18

Reflection:

Today is the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle.  We all know the familiar story of Saul on the road to Damascus, filled with zeal for God, setting out to bring his Jewish brothers and sisters who “belong to the Way” of Jesus back in “chains for punishment.”  Suddenly, he fell to the ground and plunged deep into intimate relationship with Jesus, undergoing an interrogation and, one might imagine, a deep revelation of the incomprehensible forgiveness, love, and call that is Jesus’ very self.

As I read these familiar passages once again, I am struck by Acts 9:9, particularly the last five words: “For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.” It made me wonder about the tradition of fasting in Hebrew scriptures.  I thought of the people of Ninevah in Jonah 3:5,  who heard Jonah and repented.  They “believed in God, and declared a fast,” returning to renewed and deeper relationship with God. In the simple five word phrase “He neither ate nor drank,” we understand Saul’s deep repentance and humility.

I think too of Moses in Exodus 24 who was “with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water” as he wrote the ten commandments, emptying himself to be a channel for God.  Paul too, irreparably changed from his intimate encounter with Jesus, through fasting is emptying himself to be a “chosen instrument” of the Lord.

And finally, I cannot help but hear in Paul’s fasting the words of Isaiah 58:6-7: “Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking off every yoke?  Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry, bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own flesh?”  When “things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight,” these words from Isaiah remained in the ground of his mission. 

In today’s terminology, Paul “wakes up”!  And it’s not in a single moment–it’s a sacred “three day” process that involves being led and healed by others. It made me wonder if perhaps Paul’s process can be a model for us as we navigate how to empty ourselves and become more and more God’s “chosen instruments” in today’s riven world.  It might go something like this…Be open to grace and the voice of Jesus in those hard moments when we “fall to the ground.”  Let ourselves be guided by others. Take time in prayer to experience our blindness. Rest in repentance and humility in the loving arms of God.  Accept healing from others.  And, trust that each time we do this, “something like scales” will fall from our eyes and we will see just a little bit more clearly our “Way,” this work we are all called to do–to set the oppressed free, to share our bread with the hungry, to bring the afflicted and the homeless into our house.  To fast as God asks that we do.

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

Scripture:

Jonah 3:1-5, 10
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Mark 1:14-20

Reflection:

Lord is Close

One of the most precious gifts we have from God is His wonderful closeness to us.   The first words of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel are: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close”.  Mk 1:15 The word for close in the original Greek is en-ge’-zo or in + gus= in hollow of hand. This word is used 86 times in the New Testament (NT). Its nuance is more than just being close, but in the hand i.e. in the possession of another’s grasp.   To give one’s hand is used in marriage i.e. To request permission to marry one,
as from their father or family.  To say God is close is to say in His hand. This gives us the verb, “to pledge,” “to engage” “offering security,” subst. “guarantor,” i.e., the one who accepts legal obligation (for payment etc.) in a bond.

When Sacred Scripture says: “The Lord is near.  Be anxious for nothing” Phil 4:5f   It should give us a sense of amazement at His closeness and consolation we are in His hand!  There are many expressions in the Greek NT to express the wonder of His nearness!   For instance, the Greek word “e-no’-pe-on” means to bein the eye.   It is used 97 times often referring to be in God’s eye. The beauty of this word is often missed in the English translations. “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before (in-op-pion) God.  ^{LK 12:6}

“God is with us” is another beautiful expression that appears some 647 times from Genesis to Revelation. The first as Immanuel and the last words of Jesus in Mt Gospel “lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Mt 28:20. “they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” Mt 1:23

Two of the largest diamonds in the world are called Cullinan I & 11, or the Stars of Africa.  On special occasions, the Queens of England would wear both of these on a pendant.  The Star of Africa 1 alone is at 530.4 carats and the Star of Africa 2 is 317.4 together the diamonds are worth far more than 400 million dollars!  On must feel extremely important wearing these precious diamonds!    How incredibly significant are we who wear Christ, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ!” Rom 13:14 “The Lord is near.” 

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

Scripture:

Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14
Mark 3:20-21

Reflection:

Have you ever been misunderstood? When I reflect on the sufferings of Jesus, there are of course, the physical sufferings: the scourging, the crown of thorns, and most of all, the cross. Then there is the emotional pain: the agony in the garden, the denial by Peter, the betrayal by Judas, and the feeling distant from the Father.

But even before the events leading up to His Passion, death, and Resurrection, Jesus encountered various trials that many of us encounter. And one is being misunderstood. Reading the Gospels, we see how often Jesus came into conflict with the Pharisees and the scribes and the elders of the people. But in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is misunderstood by His relatives! They have heard that the crowd following Jesus has gotten so large that He doesn’t even have time to eat, and their response is not one of awe about the size of the crowd, or about what might be happening. Instead, they conclude that Jesus has gone mad, and they set out to “seize him,” presumably to bring Him home.

We’ll find out Jesus’ response in a couple of days. The challenge for us, I think, is to look at if there are times when we misunderstand Jesus, especially when we might be tempted to use our faith to justify our prejudices and attitudes toward other individuals or groups of people. While there are times when Jesus’ words and actions are most comforting and reassuring, there are times when Jesus’ words and actions still have the power to make us uncomfortable.

At those times we need to examine whether our attitudes towards others are taking us further from God. We have seen the effects of bigotry and discrimination not only on those who are the recipients, so to speak, but also on the perpetrators. Persisting in prejudice, I think, is part of the “dead works” mentioned in our first reading from Hebrews. And if we are willing to allow the love of Jesus to more deeply enter our hearts and lives, we can better understand what Jesus is calling us to, and we can be “cleansed,” in order to “worship the living God” in all we say or do.

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