Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Jeremiah 20:10-13
John 10:31-42

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading from John, some of the people are ready to stone Jesus. When Jesus asks which good work did He do to provoke them, they answer: “We are not stoning you for a good work, but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.”

Jesus uses Scriptures to explain Himself to them, and eventually says, “If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” But this does not seem to persuade them all, and they try to arrest Him, but Jesus escapes.

I find myself thinking about “believe the works.” What are the “works” that Jesus is talking about? As I see it, they are works of healing (the man born blind), of feeding the hungry (the multiplication of the loaves and fish), of answering people’s needs (the wedding at Cana), among others. We know that Jesus would later perform the great work of our redemption and reconciliation.

For me, the same challenge that Jesus faced we face today. We may share the Good News about Him, and many may not believe. And so, our challenge may be, then, to do good works, by the grace of God, so that even if people won’t believe what we say, they can at least believe in the works, and see that love and hope, peace and justice, and joy, can and do exist, and there is a God who is the Source of it all.

May we follow Jesus in doing good works.

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

Scripture:

Genesis 17:3-9
John 8:51-59

Reflection:

For visitors to the Holy Land, one of the most obvious sights is the fact that the desert areas are not only bleak and sun-bleached to a uniform sandy colour, but all around one sees stones.

Israel is a ‘rocky’ land, almost everywhere one steps one sees stones! Generally, these are small, somewhat rounded, and within easy reach. No wonder then that ‘stoning’ became a regular means of dealing with a speaker whose opinions one did not like – one simply reached down picked up a stone and threw it! The fact that stones were everywhere made it even more possible to be spontaneous in doing this, thus one could very easily give way to emotions and reactions and instantly act on them.

Today we read of a similar moment in the life of Jesus – “So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.”  The cause of this reaction is the profession by Jesus that he is so intimately in union with the Father that he too can claim the title of God. “Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.”

Apart from the reflection that Jesus lived a life surrounded by danger and that he lived like that for us, we might also look to the revelation that is offered by Jesus’ to the crowd and which caused them to reach for stones to throw.

In his words Jesus reflects a truth that Israel has known from its beginnings. God had been with them since their foundation and God had called them into an intimate union – one we know of as ‘the covenant’.

This life-giving relationship between God an Israel is heavily weighted in their favour. It is God who promises so much – God is with them, God has created their nation, God has given them a fertile land, made them a people set apart and given them their leadership. Most importantly God is faithful and will remain faithful to this covenant.

On their part the people have only to keep the covenant with God. That is, to stay in relationship with God and to see and identify themselves in this light.

Jesus comes to bring this covenant into a fuller light and to reveal completely to them the depth of this relationship with God. Jesus is the Word of God made flesh for them to see and touch, to hear and to embrace.

But as we move closer to the events of Pasion Week and the Triduum we know that such revelation will cause more than mere stones to be thrown at Jesus; rather his very life will be sought and his message and the revelation contained therein seemingly rejected.

But as the refrain reminds us ‘The Lord remembers his covenant forever’ – and we know that God will be faithful to the people even in their rejection of the Son.

Let us enter Holy Week with open hearts, open minds and an open heart that we might truly hear all that is promised to us in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is a member of Holy Spirit Province, Australia. 

Scripture:

Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
John 8:31-42

Reflection:

The first reading for today—April Fools’ Day!–is taken from the Book of Daniel and tells the fantastic story of the three Israelites, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who heroically resist the demand of the wicked Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to worship a golden statue.  If, when they hear the “sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all the other musical instruments,” they still refuse to worship the idol, then they are to be thrown into a roaring fiery furnace.  When this royal ensemble plays its tune, the three still refuse and are thrown into the roaring flames. But miraculously the three Israelites are spared by the power of God—leading the mighty king of Babylon to praise the God of Israel! “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!”

This marvelous story of heroism and God’s protection of his people was crafted centuries after the exile of Israel to Babylon but also during a period of great suffering.  The Jews were under the thumb of the Seleucid empire, a Greek dynasty created in the wake of Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Middle East.  One of rulers of this dynasty, Antiochus IV Epiphanes (167–164 B.C.) was exceptionally cruel.  The story from the Book of Daniel both urges Israelites to remain faithful amid suffering and assures them of God’s protective care.

The gospel selection today is from the Gospel of John and there is also here a threat of violence, as Jesus’ opponents, the religious authorities, bitterly criticize him.  But Jesus offers words of comfort to “the Jews who believed in him:” ‘If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

I checked the internet and learned that there are many explanations about the origin of this day.  One that struck me as plausible was a connection with the end of the winter solstice and the fact that the weather at this time of the year changes rapidly and fools us all.

Who could have predicted the “climate” we all are in now—with the threat of the Coronavirus seeming to turn upside down almost every aspect of our normal lives? One refrain I keep hearing from thoughtful people in this moment is the paradox that, as we are forced to separate from each other (“social distancing”), we are also realizing how connected with each other we truly are and how much we need each other.  That conviction, in fact, is at the heart of our Christian faith.  The belief that we are all daughters and sons of God and that we are responsible for each other.  The heart of Jesus’ teaching (and the example of his life) was precisely this: Jesus taught that the “greatest commandment was to love God with all our heart and soul, and our neighbors as ourselves.”  That is the truth that sets us free and will help us persevere through this present threat.

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:

Numbers 21:4-9
John 8:21-30

Reflection:

Explosive Love of God

People in the Exodus had to look at the brazen serpent to be healed from the venom of fiery serpents.  They made the disastrous spiritual mistake of accusing God of not caring for them or even thinking that He intended to destroy them and their children.   They made the capital sin of grumbling against God!  The apostles made the same mistake much latter at the storm on the sea in Mark’s gospel when Jesus was asleep at the helm of the ship!

“It does not matter to you that we are perishing” The people of the first covenant had to look at the cause of their pain, the Bronze serpent, to remind them how terribly wrong they were about God’s love and care of them!  It was only by seeing the snake they could be healed.   To complain about God not caring for us is indeed a deadly mistake!

Most certainly one of the worse things we can do is to accuse God of not being

lovingly and intensely affectionate to us!   I think one of the greatest reasons He chose to suffer and die on the cross was to show us how very fond He is of us.  Grumbling against His providence must hurt Him very deeply after all He has done for us!

We must learn to look on Christ crucified to learn the depths of God’s care for us. So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am”.  When we gaze on the uplifted Christ on the Cross we will begin to understand how passionately he cares about us.  “God is love” and nowhere else can we see this better than the explosive figure on the Cross.

That the God who is now creating the universe is so anxious to prove His fondness for us that He asks His Son to die a horrifying death on the cross should utterly boggle our minds and hearts!

A priest was visiting the Holy Land and bought a crucifix for his parish.  The strict Jewish security told him that they must X-Ray the Crucifix for explosives.  The priest thought to himself if only they knew how explosive the cross really is!

 

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

Scripture:

Daniel 13:41c-62
John 8:1-11

Reflection:

“Game changer.”  That’s a good phrase to state that things will never be the same.  The invention of the wheel was certainly a game changer, as was the invention of the printing press, the light bulb, automobile, and the computer.

In political history, the conversion of Constantine was certainly a game changer, as was the Magna Carta, the American Revolution, and the atom bomb.

And this Corona Virus is presently a game changer for our lives right now.

In our first reading today, we see how truth can be game changer. Once the truth came out through Daniel, an innocent woman’s life was spared and the guilty were punished.  In our gospel reading we see how forgiveness can be a game changer.  A woman’s physical life was spared and a new life of faith began.  And a definite game changer in human history we just celebrated five days ago on the Feast of the Annunciation.   Mary said, “Yes!”  And because Mary said, “Yes,” Christ took on human flesh, and nothing has been the same since.

Maybe this Corona Virus will end up being a real game changer in human history.  Maybe we as a human race will finally realize that we are one family, under one God, that we are called to help each other and enjoy each other.  Maybe this corona virus will help us see how much we have in common and bring about a greater compassion for one another.  Maybe this corona virus will lead to greater unity and peace among all nations and people.  Why not?  As Christians, we are encouraged to dream, for “with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

Remember, the Holy Spirit, the game changer, is amongst us.

Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.   http://www.alanphillipcp.com/

Scripture:

Ezekiel 37:12-14
Romans 8:8-11
John 11:1-45

Reflection:

Our Gospel reading for this Sunday is the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-45). And as I was reflecting on this reading, it just seemed to me how appropriate it was for our times. For me, the emotions expressed at different times in the story reflect, I think, the emotions many of us are feeling now.

For instance, there is the grief that Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, feel when their brother has died. In the Gospel, Jesus does not immediately respond to the sisters’ message that Lazarus is ill. Jesus knows what He’s going to do, and waits until after Lazarus has died before He goes to see Mary and Martha. Before He gets to the family home, Martha meets Him, and says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Martha speaks with faith, but I can also hear the grief and maybe even frustration in her voice.

Later, Martha sends word to Mary that Jesus has arrived, and Mary goes out to meet Jesus. And she says to Jesus exactly what Martha said: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Again, I can hear the grief and frustration in her words. We know that there are thousands of people who are grieving because of covid-19. And it would be understandable if many of them asked, “God, where are you? Where were you? If you really cared, my loved one would not have died.” There is a place for lament. And I believe it is okay to lament to God. God is like a parent who comforts a grieving child who doesn’t understand his or her loss.

In Jesus’ response to Martha and Mary, we see His humanity. I see Jesus greatly affected by the sisters’ grief. And when He gets to Lazarus’ tomb, He weeps. Why would He weep if He knew what He was going to do? I think it has to do with being caught up in the grief of people He loves. I also wonder whether He wondered whether He should have gone right away after all. Anyway, Jesus seems to collect Himself, and orders that the tomb be opened, and after He prays to the Father, He cries out, “Lazarus, come out!” As we try our best to hunker down and self-quarantine and keep social distancing, aren’t we yearning for someone, Dr. Fauci, or the CDC, or the World Health Organization, anybody, to say to us, “Come out!”? It hasn’t happened yet, and it would not be wise to rush it, but it will happen, and we need to keep trusting in the love of God in Jesus Christ. As we have heard it said by so many, “We’re in this together.” But we’re not only in this together with each other. God is with us.

When Lazarus comes out of the tomb, Jesus says, “Untie him and let him go.” May we let the love of Jesus in, and let Him untie the bonds that hold us down. Whatever tomb or pit in which we may find ourselves, may we take His hand and be lifted up! May we let Him bind us together in compassion and justice and peace. And when the crisis passes, may we not pick up the old bonds again or go back into the tomb! Jesus is the resurrection and the life!

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

Scripture:

Jeremiah 11:18-20
John 7:40-53

Reflection:

It seems the big discussion in the gospel today centers around the question. ‘who is Jesus, where did he come from?  What is he about?  Is he from Galilee or Bethlehem?  Is he a prophet or the Christ?  Many asked out of curiosity, some were afraid and wanted to arrest him.  Others wanted to treat him justly and give him a chance to explain himself.

Today as I write this reflection, we are in week three of Covid-19 with no real end in sight.  It is a time in which we are being called upon to trust one another, our leaders in church and government as well as community and family.  Just as in the time of Jesus, people are asking, who is God, how can this crisis be happening?  If we are people of faith, should we even question?  As each day passes, I find myself becoming more overwhelmed and worried about when and how it will all end.  Some days I find I do not have the words to pray, other days, my spirit is filled with words of wisdom and comfort!  Recently a homilist reminded us not to spend so much time telling God how bad everything is going, but, rather, to remember that God is bigger than all of these tribulations, crisis and uncertainty!  In other words, trust in God, God never fails us!

This bigger God showed me the beauty of nature on a road trip to the lake house yesterday.  The peace and quiet that emanated from those surroundings gave me a sense of hope that I had been missing of late.  This bigger God gave me reason to laugh and smile as we gathered as friends to share jokes and good times for a few hours.  This bigger God sat with me during adoration in a quiet church as I heard that still small voice of God say ‘come unto me and rest’!

Lent looks and feels different these days.  At the beginning of this season, we were encouraged to focus on three attitudes:  Generosity, Openness & Emptiness so God can fill us and Silence to spend time with God.  I began Lent determined to cultivate these attitudes.  Some days I was more successful than others.  Then along came COVID-19 and a constant attitude adjustment.  The attitude of Generosity has lead me to look at how much ‘stuff’ I have that I really don’t need!  The attitude of Openness and Emptiness is leading me to step back and lower my expectations of self and others and find in the emptiness room for new growth and experiences.  Silence can be challenging for an extrovert like myself!  But I am finding a sense of solace and peace that feed my soul in unexpected ways!

The days and weeks ahead promise to hold different experiences for us all. Some will be painful, others will bring peace and joy.  The one certain thing we can count on is that our loving God is walking with us during this time. Together we are called to persevere in faith and trust and persevere.  Health and blessing to all.

 

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

Scripture:

Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22
John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Reflection:

What a time we live in! Did you ever imagine that we would be staying fast in our homes, our friends would lose their jobs, that we would be praying through God’s infinite mercy that our businesses would make it through this turmoil? Yet, here we are. But, scripture tells us today,

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.

He is there, as He has always been, holding and comforting us, assuring us that all is well. Find time in the midst of uncertainty to pray; find a quiet space to read your bible and work on your daily meditation of scripture and reflection. Turn this time into a gift from God directly to you! Of course this can be scary and unsure, but make it something more – devote it to God, and find his peace and goodness and mercy in all things. I pray for you and your families, that you overcome any illness, you are safe, and that you remember the presence and love of almighty God in every action.

Patty Masson resides in Houston, Texas.