Daily Scripture

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:17-25
Matthew 25:1-13

Reflection:

“Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

I don’t know about you, but I oftentimes find I am missing some event or message simply because I wasn’t focused or plugged into the moment at hand!  Bad habit to have, Jesus reminds us today!  I can procrastinate with the best of them!  This happened a lot when I was working from home during the pandemic.  I found I could easily put off something until tomorrow instead of taking care of it that day.  We didn’t seem to have a schedule, one day ran into another!  There were more days I was asleep than awake!

I am halfway through month 2 of retirement!  Life is good!  I am finding the days go by very quickly as we spend most days being beach bums and taking advantage of summer in Michigan and Kentucky!  Someone gifted us with a clock minus the hands as a retirement gift!  At first when we found there was a place for a battery, we attempted to put one in until we realized what good is a battery without a function!  The message became loud and clear as we realized time as we have known it does not exist anymore.  No more lessons to plan, no more online teaching, no more parent meetings, no more agendas to follow!  Wow this is great!

As I coast into a different lifestyle in retirement, not quite knowing what it will all look like, I am finding the pace that allows Jesus’ words, ‘stay awake’ to take on more meaning!  Each new day brings another example of God’s beauty and grace.  Some of these profound moments include;  prayer and tea with God on the deck; the beauty of God’s creation in cloud formations or sunsets on the lake; a new directee in spiritual direction sharing her God moments; the love and gratitude expressed by my parish at my grand retirement party topped off by my family traveling from Michigan to celebrate with us.

We are living in trying times, no doubt about it, but it is also true that these times can include moments of grace and hope.

‘Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour’!

This admonition can mean many things depending on our life situations, etc.  For the terminally ill person who has suffered much and is tired and just wants to go home to Jesus, these words can be hopeful.  For the person down on their luck and feeling there is no way out and feels God is not close, these words could be a clarion call to wake up and see that God is very much alive in the people trying to help you.

May we be like the wise virgins who were prepared to welcome the bridegroom with full lamps as we continue to journey through life awake and aware of God’s many blessings that surround us.

Theresa Secord is a Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Matthew 24:42-51

Reflection:

The first line of the Gospel today says, “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Stay awake!’ For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.'” The thought immediately hit me – yes, stay awake, but how many of us need to WAKE UP!!

I’ve been reading a book called Awareness by Fr. Anthony de Mello, an Indian Jesuit Priest. He talks a lot about waking up – and it made me realize that I need to be concerned with those things that truly impact me, my attitude, my compassion, my trust and faith in God. What do people think of me? Irrelevant. Should I concern myself with why someone looked at me cross eyed? Nope. Should I be aware of the goodness of God and all his gifts, and all the talents He has shared, and all of the mercy he has shown? WAKE UP – yes!!

So don’t let time be your enemy – stay awake and remain faithful and prudent. Take care to be in constant prayer with God, read his word, share his messages – there are so very many!! Yes, stay awake and be prepared, living your life in a way that is pleasing to God. And if you aren’t, wake up!! It’s never too late to reconnect with our loving Saviour and live as He wants you to live.

I would be remiss to not mention that today also celebrates the Memorial of St. Monica, a woman who prayed for many, many years for her son, Augustine. She stayed awake!! She never rested from praying for her son to return to the faith. The Franciscans explain, “Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy—’all flesh is evil’—and was living an immoral life. One night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on, she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him.” And he did return to the faith, because Momma stayed awake, and Augustine woke up.

Patty Masson is a supporter of the Passionists, residing in Spring, Texas.

Scripture:

2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, 16-18
Matthew 23:27-322

Reflection:

With no disrespect to the month of January or even to July 1, the month of August always presented itself as a time for new beginnings. Certainly, January marks a new calendar year and all the hopes that are bound up in our resolutions. And July 1 begins a new fiscal year for many organizations, time to reset those budgets. But there are so many milestones in my life that began to unfold in August.

The start of school usually came on the heels of a traditional early August family vacation on an idyllic lake in Ontario. Every fourth August marked the transition to the fall political campaigns that captivated me. Forty-five years ago this month, I entered the Jesuit novitiate to begin a profound spiritual journey, and in August 1986 I left the USA to live for two years in the Philippines, a journey that was to change my life forever.

And so here we are, in 2020, not knowing if students can return to school. No one in our family was able to get over the Canadian border to that idyllic lake. Slowly, hopefully—and with uncertainty—we tiptoe back into some of our missed routines of work, play, getting to Mass, shopping, and eating out, hoping to argue about something important.

But we just don’t know what’s going to happen, and we hate not knowing. But for me, August was always a month of not knowing, and that was exciting, even if a bit nerve-racking. I got to set off into a new grade or a new chapter or a new adventure. I did not know what was going to happen, so I had to be ready to greet the experience, even embrace it. I had to learn to expect the unexpected. What are we learning this August, what new adventure is set before us? Can we discern what God is calling us to during this time? What is the new beginning into which August invites us?

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 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17
Matthew 23:23-26

Reflection:

Jesus speaks often of the sin of hypocrisy.  It certainly seems that this was one of the sins that dismayed Jesus the most. In today’s Gospel, he is rebuking the scribes and Pharisees for making a big deal of paying their tithes, but neglecting the more important part of the law: justice, mercy and fidelity.

Jesus calls the religious leaders of his day blind Pharisees and hypocrites.  A hypocrite is defined as a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs and principles, that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie their stated beliefs. The Pharisees and the scribes of the time were very exacting in their interpretation of the law.  And they were very careful to obey the minutest detail of that law – thus the expression, “the letter of the law.”  Jesus is scolding them for doing this instead of paying attention to the more important matters of religion.  They didn’t have the spirit of the law.   In their misguided zeal they had lost sight of God and of his purpose for the law.   If they had followed the spirit of the law, they would have understood that God didn’t want them to tithe for the sake of tithing but to care for the needy and the weak.  Instead the Pharisees used their exactness in tithing and insisting on the minute regulations to think of themselves in a selfish and prideful way and to hold those who did not or who were not able to follow these standards in contempt.

Giving to the Church or to the people of God, whether through tithing or a general spirit of stewardship should always be an expression of thanksgiving and a willingness to do God’s will.  The scribes, however, went to extreme lengths to tithe on insignificant things (such as tiny plants) with great mathematical accuracy but neglected the more important part of God’s commandments.

In today’s world, there is still the temptation to be hypocritical in the practice of our Faith.  God does not want us to strike our breasts, make a show of spending time in prayer or use our devotions to ignore the work he has called us to.  God wants us to be filled with a sense of thanksgiving as we give of ourselves in prayer and in the sharing of our time, talent and treasure.  Most of all, God wants us to hear the words of His Son and be persons of “justice, mercy and fidelity.”

Mary Lou Butler is a long-time friend and partner in ministry to the Passionists in California. 

Scripture:

Revelation 21:9b-14
John 1:45-51

Reflection:

Love with Deceit

In the Gospel today Jesus praises Nathaniel because there is no deceit in him.  The original inspired Greek word for deceit is dolos.   This word means a bait for fish.   We entice the fish what seems good to him. When he bits it is a disaster for him but a meal for us!   The word dolos is used for being sneaky or treacherous.   A person is outwardly nice but is scheming to take advantage of another.  One of our sins in dealing with others is using them for our purpose rather than for theirs, or better for God’s.

Part of our experience as a member of Christ’s Body is to be an extension of Him.   Hopefully, our self-interest rather than the interest of Christ does not cruelly rob them of His care!  We all have a great need of others to live the Christ-life, but it is very easy to turn the loving interest of God into our selfish needs! How many scam calls we all get today on our cell phones!   “You are lucky, we picked your name to give you $1,000 dollars.  Just give us your credit card number so we can send it to your account!”

In less obvious ways we are not aware of how much we use others for our own purposes with no or little care for their interests!  Jesus took on terrible sufferings in His human nature to give the incredible gift of eternal life.  He could not be touched by remaining with His Divine nature alone.  Only when He took on our human nature could experience the pain of unselfish giving!  O what a lesson in the crucified Jesus!  “You shall love one another as I have loved you”.   To love like Jesus is to love others without self-interest.  I don’t love just so I look good to others.  I don’t love others so they can be a help to my personal plans.

When I live without deceit and without being sneaky I love like Jesus on the cross. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Gal 2:20

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

Scripture:

Isaiah 22:19-23
Romans 11:33-36
Matthew 16:13-20

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading for today, after Jesus asks His disciples what the people are saying about Him, He then asks them what they think: “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus is wise enough to know that this confession of faith does not come from him but from the Father, and says, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.”

Thinking of Peter, I was drawn to the phrase that Jesus uses: “upon this rock I will build my church.” Jesus does not say, “upon this rock I build my church.” This is important because, when we read the Gospels, we know that Peter has a lot to go through before he seems to be anything like a “rock.”

At this point in the Gospel, Peter still has a lot to learn. He still has to understand what is going to happen to Jesus. He still needs to learn that he cannot rely on his own strength, which he realizes most poignantly on Good Friday when, out of fear, he denies that he even knew Jesus. He has to repent and then experience reconciliation with the Resurrection of Jesus (John 21:15-19). And after that, he has to receive the Holy Spirit. And indeed, he becomes a rock for the Church, until he is martyred for the Gospel.

Peter’s journey indicates to us that we too have to go through times of repentance and reconciliation, death and resurrection. We, too, are called to be a “rock” for others, just as there are times when others are a “rock” for us. And although we have not been given the “keys to the kingdom,” as Peter was, we have been given “keys” to life with God. We have been given Jesus as Lord and Savior. We have been given the Holy Spirit. We have been given the Word and the sacraments. We have been given love and grace beyond anything we could possibly deserve or earn.

May we use the “keys” of Jesus’ Cross and Resurrection to enter more deeply into the love that God has for us and the commandment to love one another.

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

Scripture:

Ezekiel 43:1-7a
Matthew 23:1-12

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading for today, we hear Jesus denouncing the scribes and Pharisees of His day. And at the end of this particular passage, He says, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” It seems to me that humility is at the heart of the matter in Jesus’ denunciation. The Pharisees Jesus is talking about were too caught up in their own prestige in the community, and too often looked down on others.

It seems that the Pharisees and scribes failed to have the same attitude as Ezekiel does in our first reading. In that reading, Ezekiel has a vision in which he is brought into the presence of God. His attitude is one of humility: “I fell prone as the glory of the Lord entered the temple by way of the gate which faces the east.”

Perhaps the Pharisees would prostrate themselves before God like Ezekiel, but if that humility was not extended to their views of themselves or others, then it would be a hollow gesture. When we recognize that we are not God, and that we do not have God all figured out, and that we rely so much on God’s love and mercy, we get a true perspective about ourselves and others.

Jesus accuses the Pharisees and the scribes of laying burdens on people’s shoulders, without doing anything to help them. We can’t even try to do that! In his vision, Ezekiel says that “spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court.” Imperfect as we are, God lifts us up to do the work He has for us to do. We are called to be about lifting up others! As fellow pilgrims on the journey, there is no need to try to lord it over others, or make a spectacle of how holy we think we are! Instead, we are to help others along the way, as we are helped. May we follow the example of Jesus, and be humble servants of all.

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

Feast of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

Scripture:

Ezekiel 36:23-28
Matthew 22:1-14

Reflection:

Some people are just worth remembering.  They live their lives in such a way that their peers, both friends and foes, respect them.  As a result, they have a profound influence on the very best that emerges in their time.  We celebrate the feast of such a remarkable man today, St. Bernard of Clairvaux.  He lived in the 12^th century (born in 1090 and died in 1153), a time of great turmoil in the Church and in society.

He was born into one of the noble families in Burgundy, France.  He had a great future before him in the society of his day but chose instead to give his life to God.  Against his family’s wishes, he rejected the ambitious plans they had for him and, instead, followed his heart and at age 23 entered one of the most austere religious orders in the Church, the Cistercians.  He was already so influential among his peers, he brought a total of 30 young nobles (among whom were several of his brothers) with him into religious life.  Even at the early age of 23, he was a man of prayer and his prayer life deepened quickly under the guidance of the Abbot of Citeaux, St. Stephen Harding.  Though the Cistercians lived a very austere life, they were growing so rapidly at that time that just two years after he entered, he and fifteen other companions were sent out to found another abbey.  Bernard was elected the first abbot of this new abbey located in the Clair Valley.  He remained Abbot of Clairvaux until his death in 1153

As abbot, Bernard emphasized three important spiritual disciplines:  an austere and simple form of life, lectio divina and personal prayer, and finally, a deep personal devotion to Our Blessed Mother.  His Abbey flourished and Bernard founded three additional abbeys with the monks from Clairvaux.

But it wasn’t just within the confines of the Cistercians that Bernard exerted enormous influence.  He participated in several Church Councils, brought unity to the Papacy (persuaded most of the secular rulers to accept Innocent II over Anacletus II), and overcame several heresies that were rampant during his time.   In short, Bernard became one of the most significant religious figures of 12th century.

As you remember St. Bernard today, I hope you have a chance to read more about his life.  He is a true example of a faithful disciple of Jesus who uses all his considerable gifts to build up the Kingdom of God.  We thank God for this remarkable man and ask for the grace to live our lives in a way that builds the Kingdom of God.

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is the director of retreats at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.