Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22
Luke 19:1-10

Reflection:

“Today salvation has come to this house.” Those words from today’s gospel are the most important we will ever hear. But when Jesus comes to our house, how do we respond? Do we eagerly and joyfully welcome him in or are we afraid to even open the door?

Today’s gospel is the well known, and almost comical, story of Zacchaeus, the tiny tax collector of Jericho who will not let his short stature keep him from seeing Jesus. With his view obstructed by the crowd, Zacchaeus is so curious about Jesus that he scrambles up a sycamore tree and waits for Jesus to come his way. When Jesus spots him, he says, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. I mean to stay at your house today.” Here “house” is a metaphor for our lives, so Jesus is asking Zacchaeus to welcome him into his life, so much so that there will be no point of his life that is not transformed and transfigured by Christ. Without a second’s hesitation, Zacchaeus opens his life to Christ, welcoming him “with delight.” Moreover, this scrappy tax collector who was despised by his neighbors, becomes the model disciple for us to emulate because he completes his acceptance of Jesus by vowing to give half of what he owns to the poor and to repay anyone he has cheated four times the amount he took from them. With Zacchaeus, the call to discipleship is followed by true conversion.

By contrast, today’s first reading addresses two early Christian communities, Sardis and Laodicea, that have “the reputation…of being alive,” but in reality, are dead. Yes, the gospel was preached to them and they momentarily accepted the faith; however, they soon drifted away from it into mediocrity and complacency. They are “comfortable Christians” who think all is well with them, but in fact they are more dead than alive because they never fully welcomed Jesus into their lives.

In today’s gospel, people were shocked that Jesus invited himself “to a sinner’s house as a guest.” But isn’t that the point? Isn’t each of us a “sinner’s house” Jesus wants to enter? That’s why the real tragedy is not that we are sinners, but that we could hear Jesus say, “Today salvation has come to this house,” and never once open the door.

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology and Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist family.

Scripture:

Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5
Luke 18:35-43

Reflection:

This passage from Luke’s Gospel places us on the Road to Jericho, which is about twenty miles from Jerusalem.  It is a very narrow and rocky road which was difficult to maneuver.  It is also the refuge for bandits and thieves who use it to vandalize their victims. This episode also reminds us of the Good Samaritan and his victim.  Frequently, people would line the road begging for alms, food, handouts.  On this occasion there was a man who was afflicted with blindness.  He heard the commotion and asked what was happening. He was told “It is Jesus of Nazareth passing by.  So he cried out “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me.”  Again, he shouted out the louder “Son of David, have pity on me.”  Jesus asked him “What would you have me do for you?”  He replied, “Lord that I might see.”  Jesus responded, “Be healed your faith has made you well.”  He received his sight and followed Jesus.

The first thing that strikes one is that it is often in the most difficult and cluttered situations that we can sense the presence of God.  We have to stand our ground and cry out “Son of David” have pity on me.”  When we are told to be quiet, God has more important things to worry about.  There are others who are more deserving of the “pity and compassion” of God.  The gospel assures us our cries and needs are heard by a listening God. We just have to have courage, faith and persistence. 

It is striking that what the man with blindness asks for is not eyesight.  He asks for mercy.  He asks for compassion and then asks to be healed. In Luke’s gospel the author tells us another healing.  It is the parable of the ten men with leprosy. They are healed because of their faith.  However, they were told to present themselves to a priest.  After this one a Samaritan, a foreigner returns to thank Jesus for the miracle. Jesus asked “weren’t ten healed? Go your faith has saved you.”  One thing Luke tells us is that gratitude is the surest measure of our character.  Let us give thanks.  

Fr. Ken O’Malley, C.P., is a member of the Passionist Community at Sacred Heart Monastery in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Matthew 25:14-30

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading for Sunday, Jesus tells a parable about a man and three of his servants. I would like to focus on two of the three. So, the parable begins with the man, before leaving on a journey, giving one servant five talents (coins of high value), another servant two talents, and the third servant, one. The first two servants used the money that had been given them and made twice the amount. The third, however, decided to bury the talent given to him. When the man returns, he rewards the first two servants but punishes the third, taking the one talent from him and giving it to the first servant who now has ten.

When we hear this parable, we know that the word “talent” represents money, but we also see the parable about how we are to use our “talents,” in the way we usually use the word today. The parable calls us to use the gifts and talents we have been given. For what purpose? To continue the theme I’ve been looking at the past few weeks, we are to use our talents for the sake of the Gospel; in order to obey the commandments to love God and to love our neighbor; to help build up the kingdom.   

The parable tells us that the third servant buries the talent he has been given. Why? In the parable, the servant tells his master that he buried it out of fear, knowing that the master was a “demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter.” Fear can be an obstacle to us in using our talents. I don’t believe God is as ruthless as the servant perceived his master, but people can be afraid to fail, or even afraid to succeed. Or we may not want to seem foolish, using our gifts, not to amass wealth for ourselves as the world would expect, but to serve others. Or, out of a false sense of modesty, we may be afraid to stand out or draw attention to ourselves. All these kinds of fears can get in the way of answering the call we have from Jesus.

Instead of the third servant, we need to be more like the second. Why do I refer to the second instead of the first? Mostly because I aspire to be like the second servant. He does not succumb to another common obstacle to using one’s talents: comparing ourselves to others. The servant who received two talents did not seem to resent that the first one received five. He also does not seem to consider himself superior to the one who received one. He simply uses what has been given him and makes the most of it he can. What a model servant, not to let ego or jealousy get in the way of using one’s gifts! So often we can use up a lot of energy wondering why we aren’t as gifted as the next person, or deciding that, because we aren’t as gifted as someone else, that we don’t have anything to give. May we not fall into this trap! We all have been given gifts and talents, no matter how insignificant they may seem to others and even ourselves. Even in this pandemic, we can find ways to use what we have been given.

At the end of the parable, the master says, “Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” I think very often these words are used as some kind of rationalization for the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. But I believe what Jesus is really saying is that the more we are willing to use our talents to love God and neighbor, the easier it will be to use those talents, and we will even discover talents we didn’t know we had!

May our talents be used to witness to the truth of God’s love in Jesus Christ.

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

Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

Scripture:

2 John 4-9
Luke 17:26-37

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel continues with the same Apocalyptic or end times focus as we move through the final weeks of the liturgical year. These readings—particularly, the Gospels, focus us on the idea of the second coming of Christ and our readiness.  Somehow over the centuries instead of looking to the second coming of Christ; Christmas, and the newborn baby, Jesus found its way into the Advent waiting. One commentary I read suggests that Luke borrowed language from the Old Testament books of Ezekiel and Daniel who both use the “Son of Man.” This text reminds me of our current situation of the pandemic, we hear that one person has been diagnosed with Covid-19 while the other one is symptom-free. At least that is how it feels in Southern California, where we are experiencing a surge in cases. So perhaps when we read this text it may bring fear and worry to our hearts. I have often wondered what a new Christian feels when they read this text, it is slightly disconcerting, to say the least.

However, the Church does not want us to get wrapped up in concerns about end times but rather to pay attention to the totality of the Scriptures. This is evident in our first reading from the Second Letter of St. John. The author of this letter reminds us that we have nothing to worry about if we stick to the original command, “from the beginning,” to love one another. We do this by walking according to his commandments. It is quite simple. I read a quote today that helps speak to this point, “To love is always letting go of a fear.” (Center for Action and Contemplation 11-10-2020 reflection) I might suggest today’s Scripture is an invitation to let go, to surrender our fears about our future into the hands of Jesus.

Today is also the memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini who was the Italian foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. She overcame many obstacles in her dream of entering religious life. She and six of her community took the advice of Pope Leo XIII and came to the United States to minister to the Italian immigrants. Coincidentally, this same Pope wrote an encyclical letter in 1891 which is considered foundational to the Church’s teachings on Social Justice—Rerum Novarum. Even then he had an awareness and concerned for the poor. She and her community ministered to orphanages, established schools, and eventually hospitals. She later became an American citizen and died on December 22^nd, 1917. She was canonized in 1946 and is the first citizen (naturalized) saint of the United States. Mother Cabrini, as she was known did not shy from loving and serving Christ in the poor. That desire to love compelled her to reach for her dream. As the words of the psalm suggests, “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.” (Psalm119). So today, may we let go of anything that keeps us separated from this love. May we trust in the mercy of Christ to meet us in eternity and may we strive to follow the law of the Lord in joyful hope. 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.

Scripture:

Philemon 7-20
Luke 17:20-25

Reflection:

When I write these meditations, I am thinking primarily of people with whom you come in contact in your somewhat “limited life” thanks to the pandemic. Yes, I am writing to people called by God to “unleash energy of the Gospel” wherever and with whomever you are present today. “The Kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17:21)  

You convey the Kingdom through your sensitivities, words, deeds and decisions to do something.

I assume these days, where obligatory church attendance is optional, many have let go of the necessity to spend time with the Body of Christ, sacramentally and ecclesiastically!

I write this for the benefit of your “presenting Christ,” to those who do not expose themselves to the real presence of the Word. This is the “lens” through which I read the Word of God.

Two human phenomena dominate the Word today. Yearning and longing. Both desires are at the core of our humanity, uniquely, in men and women. “The heart is a lonely hunter.” “My heart is restless until it rests in God.” Both of these sayings are familiar.

We meet people like the man whom Paul encountered while imprisoned. Onesimus (meaning “useless” in the original translation) a runaway slave, who cannot find himself nor feel that they do not belong. Useless, aimless, purposeless.

If life is a journey, then there must be a destination. It is so hard to find and hold onto.

According to the psychotherapist, Robert Furey, “Without this destination life would be only an aimless movement without the purpose and direction inherent in a true journey. (p. ix, The Road To You,  Alba House, 1997)

Dr. Furey assumes that each one of us has a definite destination – and each journey begins with a yearning and a calling. Through every obstacle, disappointment and challenge, we are being prepared to fulfill our God-inspired vision. “The road to you takes you to the place where you can live your calling.” (p. ix)

I do not believe that anyone is bereft of a calling. God’s creation, in humanity and all living things, are imbued with love, and love contains meaning and purpose.

As usual many are afraid and resist their calling out of fear. Fear that they are being called to do more than they can! This would lead to failure, embarrassment or whatever they fear the most. Or, the opposite concern. They dread the thought that the tasks to which they are called may be judged insignificant! So, 2000 years later the story of a runaway slave with a ridiculous name of “useless” who is in jail, gets our attention.

Please, never underestimate the power, the energy of God within you, “as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other.” Pray, ask for the grace of God, the same grace that touched Paul, to be planted in our hearts with the yearning that points to our own special direction. And when I say “pray,” this means more than petitioning God. It means “reflecting,” i.e., “looking back” to see where God has already given you direction. In this way you develop and awareness of your calling, find your purpose in life and begin to understand where you belong. That is spiritual energy… the most powerful kind of energy in the world. Accept your calling everyday, and the energy will be there.

Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P., is a member of the Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Titus 3:1-7
Luke 17:11-19

Reflection:

When I was young and we visited the dentist or doctor’s office there would always be a copy of Highlights Magazine in the waiting room.  In it I loved to read the comic strip “Goofus and Gallant”.

In the comic, two boys are given a situation in life in which they need to respond.

Goofus would always do the thing we knew to be wrong while Gallant would respond with the right value called for, be it telling the truth, helping a neighbor, or saying thank you.  Figuring out the right thing to do in the examples did not take rocket science, and yet, we all knew as we read the comic strip, that we occasionally acted more like Goofus than Gallant.

In today’s Gospel Jesus comes into the lives of ten lepers and answers their prayers by lovingly healing them. If this happened to us, we all would know the right thing to do.  What Gallant would do.  Return and give thanks. This is not difficult to understand.  Yet I know there are times when Jesus is present in my life, when he answers my prayers or heals my brokenness and I am too busy, too distracted, or have already moved on to my next need or worry to even acknowledge His miraculous presence in my life. Giving thanks requires me to slow down, to pay attention and to humbly accept that God loves me so much that He desires to be part of my life.

I think there is also more to the Gospel than the basic value of gratitude.  Jesus’s love acted very powerfully in the lives of the 10 through their healing, and yet only one chose not just to give thanks, but to return to Christ in a more meaningful way.

We have been given much by Our Lord and our hearts should respond with giving thanks, but also by returning to Christ with more than just our words. The Gospel says the leper returned, fell at Jesus’s feet and thanked him.

What might that look like for us?  Maybe in this year of faith returning to Our Lord could include reading the bible more, spending time in front of the blessed sacrament, or receiving the sacraments more often.  Then we would truly be responding with our hearts and our lives to the way He heals us in our life.

Steve Walsh is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre ,and a good friend of the Passionist Community.

Scripture:

Titus 2:1-8, 11-14
Luke 17:7-10

Reflection:

In my 30’s, I knew a priest from India. He attracted people easily, as he was gentle, peaceful, and kind. Yet he was also intelligent, exceptionally insightful on scripture and theology, and willing to share his wisdom in just the right measure. Despite obvious gifts, he never lorded it over anyone or touted himself. Instead, his encouragement and support, combined with the model of his life, built everyone up, and he sincerely rejoiced at their successes even above his own. To me, he fit the definition of a servant leader, and he inspired others to the same.

Gallons of ink have been spilled defining and promoting “servant leadership.” St. Paul lists several characteristics we’d all agree on: dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith and love,  reverent, teaching what is good, chaste, maintaining integrity, rejecting godless ways, and living in imitation of Jesus who gave himself totally for us. Servant leaders, according to the Gospel, humbly do what is theirs to do without expectation of reward or recognition, and sometimes at cost to themselves. In short, servant leaders use whatever gifts and talents they have to serve others and to build up the reign of God.

Today, servant leadership seems in perilously short supply. Many leaders, religious and secular, are concerned primarily with their own power and control, demanding adulation, and enriching themselves. As Christians, that is the antithesis of our call, but it is hard to resist. I know how good it feels to be praised by others. I love being “right,” and can get defensive when my position is challenged. I can be very invested in what I want. It’s more comfortable to be in control than to trust someone else to lead. Even with my kids, I sometimes do things myself, knowing I’ll do it better, rather than patiently letting them learn over time until they are equally competent. Ah yes, I know the temptations!

I also know that if I want to promote servant leadership in our world, I need to begin with myself. So, my prayer this week is that I may grow in humility and service. May I open my mind to hear the challenges of others so that together we can discern the “right” path forward. May I offer my time, attention, and gifts freely without expecting reward or recognition. May I look for opportunities to build up someone else, especially someone who rarely gets recognized. Overall, may I become an ever more transparent instrument of Christ, who gave himself over for us. And may I do all of this so generously and well that I inspire others to do the same. Amen.

Amy Florian is a teacher and consultant working in Chicago.  For many years she has partnered with the Passionists.  Visit Amy’s website: http://www.corgenius.com/.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17
John 2:13-22

Reflection:

A Cruise Downstream on the Waters from St. John Lateran

In the year 324 the Church of St. John Lateran was dedicated. A gift from Constantine to the pope, it is now the cathedral of Rome, the church of Pope Francis, its bishop.

Do you have a sacred place? A place where you can feel as if you take leave of the everyday world to come to a place of peace, a place where you feel different, maybe sensitive to the holy. You may be lucky enough to have a place or two like that. It could be a spot from which we view the beauty of creation, or a place where we have had a memorable sacred, experience. I suppose places vary and the reasons for them are countless. In such a place we give into a power, something that always works when we are ‘there’. We can count on peace, strength even a humbling feeling as we enter this space transcending ordinary life.

I can’t say that John Lateran is such a place for me, I have never been there. But because it is the Mother Church we could imagine, like the temple in Ez. 43:1-2 4-7, that the waters of life are flowing from it and spiritually stream into all other churches.

What makes me think that John Lateran could become one of those ‘favorite places’ where we enter the sacred is its baptismal font. Little fish come to life there under its inscription, “There is no barrier between those who are reborn and made one by the one font, the one Spirit, and the one faith…” The font is a sacred place in every church. Here people meet the Good Shepherd in waters of refreshment, are filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and begin their journey to the banquet table in our Father’s house. It is a journey that ends ritually when that person is placed closest to the altar, a symbol for Christ whose embrace welcomes them, and the Eucharist is celebrated. Our fonts are like springs fed from its source, the Mother Church of St. John.

We can also see it in a different way. Imagine the baptism of adults. These are people who have prepared, grace has been at work attracting them, they are nervous and anxious approaching the water. When they leave the font they are ‘mystagogues’. They now experience the love of God. From seeing the water they now are little fish at home and swimming in the water. How appropriate the symbols of fish on the venerable font of St. John Lateran. Over 17,000 years how many thousands of people swam in those waters? New symbols are theirs, their imagination can go to new places, they are given a new language, the extraordinary but ordinary world becomes filled with the ordinary extraordinary presence of God.

A place of baptism is a very sacred symbol. A hot spot in the sacred space of our church. By extension we can find ourselves at the headwaters of baptism and maybe make St. John’s a holy place to visit in our imagination. We are connected by the water. Or just gaze upon the font of our church. You may feel you are in a little backwater bayou, but how alive and beautiful it is at the time of baptism. Maybe the font of St. John Lateran or our own church’s font will be a place where we sit and watch as the Sprit moves over the waters once again and God’s love springs up within us.

Fr. William Murphy, CP is the pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Jamaica, New York.