Daily Scripture

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Scripture:

Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9
Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19
John 19:31-37

Reflection:

“…My heart is overwhelmed,
my pity is stirred.
I will not give vent to my blazing anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again…” (Hos 11:8-9)

I saw a good movie the other day, “Ezra.” I cried through most of it. It’s all about a little boy, identified as having a prevalent disability today, who is imperfectly loved by three people: his mother, his father and his grandfather. I related best to the grandfather.

On another note, I get up each morning to the singing, chirping, or squawking of the birds. The adjective, I use all depends on how I’m feeling that day. You see, a few years ago I started making bread during the Covid lockdowns and despite the bread’s total imperfections, the birds never fail to eat whatever I have to offer them. I love the birds, but sometimes, I just wish they would be quiet and look for food elsewhere.

Speaking of animals, walking in my neighborhood, I come across many dog walkers doing their chores. Most of the walkers will not make eye contact with me. I suspect they are too busy or just don’t have time for a random stranger. The dogs on the other hand, almost always make eye contact with me. It’s usually brief, but the simple moment’s contact, seems to say: “You’re ok!”

In today’s scripture selection from the prophet Hosea, I once again hear of God’s undying love for me, Israel and all of creation, despite our often ignoring Him. I believe God, wants our attention: our eye contact; our smelling of the flowers; our acknowledgement of the beautiful people around us. God, thank you for Your creation. Help me today, to acknowledge Your love in my life and to share that with every person, every pet and every plant you put in my life today.

Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists.  He lives in Chicago.

Scripture:

2 Timothy 2:8-15
Mark 12:28-34

Reflection:

Pope Francis, in his landmark encyclical Laudato Si, is strong in his condemnation of the exploitation of the billions of people living in poverty of mind and body around the globe.

He calls out the comfortable of the world who may be tempted to ignore the sufferings of those living on the edges: the disabled, the elderly, the workers in sweatshops and other dangerous worksites, the garbage dump pickers in major cities, the victims of war abroad and gun violence in homes and on the streets, the physically and mentally ailing, the lonely, the frightened, and the hopeless.

The prosperity of many in North America can make it easy to tune out the hardships of our brothers and sisters living perhaps just a short distance from our affluent, safe neighborhoods.

Recently, while in a very poor area of Louisville to visit a young man who struggles with mental illness and the recent death by drug overdose of his mother, I was struck by what I witnessed. With determination on their faces, people seemed to keep on struggling to get through today as best they could. I saw bent-over, unshaven men in tattered clothes who begged for alms on a street corner, a bent-over woman shuffling along pulling groceries in a wire cart, one young woman dancing in the streets, either high on drugs or hallucinating, many sat on porch steps of unpainted homes in silent expectation.

Multiply the poverty I witness a billion times over, and we begin to get a glimpse at the chasm between the haves and have-nots that the Pope is talking about.

On the same day of my visit to this neighborhood, at the other end of my city, thousands and thousands of the well-to-do gathered on an exclusive golf course to witness young men hit a white ball over and across manicured lawns, surrounded by homes large enough to house several families from the poor side of the city.

These fans savored the fresh air, fine food and drink, and the thrill of seeing skilled athletes ply their sharpened trade for lucrative winnings. Nothing wrong with having fun in comfortable surroundings.

But as disciples of Christ, we are called to study the ways our society works and does not work for everyone, especially those living on the edges of life.

The Pope encourages us to foster an economy that provides safe, well-paid jobs, housing and healthcare for all, good schools, healthy, accessible food, public safety, and access to just legal systems. He also pleads for protecting the environment during this catastrophic climate crisis that hurts the poor more than any other group.

We are fortunate to live in representative democracies where we have a voice in public policy decisions. Challenging public officials to consider the needs of the most vulnerable, to work for inclusive communities, to address climate change, to protect the elderly, sick, children, refugees, and imprisoned.

In today’s Gospel Jesus is speaking to a scribe about the twin commandments. He knew scribes, part of the elite establishment of Jesus’ day, violated the sections of Jewish sacred texts that define love of neighbor as non-exploitation. Scripture lists the specifics from Leviticus 19: 9-17:

1. Leave your field for the sojourner to glean
2. Do not steal, deal falsely, or profane God.
3. Do not oppress the neighbor, exploit employees, or discriminate against the disabled.
4. Do no injustice or show partiality in judgement, or slander, or witness against the neighbor.

These, Scripture scholar Ched Myers asserts, are precisely the commands violated regularly by the dominant Jewish social groups of Jesus’ day, especially the scribes like the one asking Jesus the question in Mark’s Gospel.

So when Jesus tells the man what two commandments are the greatest, the man knows, as a scribe, he is committed to and part of a system that oppresses. Will he repudiate his position, as Jesus is suggesting?

Perhaps that is why Jesus concludes the man is not far from the Kingdom of God. A total conversion would mean an about face for the scribe, something that may be very difficult to do without serious criticism from his peers, family, and friends..

An examination of our own lives may reveal, in order to truly be a disciple, we make major changes in how we live, where we live, who we vote for, who we affiliate with, who we listen to, who we fight for, who we comfort.

Deep, silent prayer can open us to the voice of the Spirit working within us. Perhaps today you will set time aside to just that. To decide how and when to totally surrender to the God we love and to love our neighbor as the Savior demands.

Jim Wayne is a board member of the Passionist Solidarity Network (PSN), and author of The Unfinished Man. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12
Mark 12:18-27

Reflection:

In reading the four Gospels, it’s not uncommon to find people in the story who are confused by Jesus’s teaching and what he stands for.  Over the last couple of weeks, the Gospel readings reveal Jesus as a teacher, speaking about the ways of the Kingdom of God, while the people of the stories are trying to interpret him from the ways of the world.  This, of course, leads to misunderstandings. And we all know from human experience how our tendency is to dig in our heels to prove that we are right.  Have you noticed how many times in scripture people come to Jesus to test him? 

Today, for example, we have the Sadducees approaching Jesus with an absurd and ludicrous scenario.  It is the story of a woman whose husband dies after she gets married.  Thus begins a succession of marrying the next sequential brother in the family after each of the husbands die.  The idea that this could actually happen in real life is highly unlikely.    But the real argument is not about the question they throw at Jesus which is whose wife will she be?  The real issue is that the Sadducees are standing before Jesus holding firm to their belief that there is no resurrection, going so far as to mock anyone who does believe in resurrection.  There is an intense inability of the Sadducees to see anything beyond their personal belief.   How is this any different than the polarized world we live in two millenniums later?  The desire to hold so firmly to one’s personal belief, to even wish harm upon others whose opinions and beliefs are contrary to one’s own, is a daily reality for us. 

Just a few months ago, a woman on retreat said to me, “I can’t talk with people anymore about anything.  We can’t talk about current events. We definitely can’t talk about anything political.  I can’t even mention the atrocities of war that are taking place.  Religious ideas are certainly out of the question.  And with some people, I can’t even talk about the weather because it brings up global warming!   It just seems so unsocial and unhuman.” 

Remember, the Sadducees come to Jesus to put him to the test.  They are overconfident and blind to how they are misinformed.    Jesus throws them a zinger.  He calls them “greatly misled because they do not know the scriptures or the power of God”.   Saying that to upper echelon religious leaders had to sting! We are not told how the Sadducees hear Jesus’ words or how they respond.  I personally can’t believe that was the end of the dialogue because humanity, as I know it, in this level of confrontation, frequently chooses to respond with more aggression.

Lastly, I want to highlight a gospel story from last week.  It is the story of Bartimaeus, the blind man who, in desperation, was calling out to Jesus as Jesus walked up the road toward Jerusalem.   Bartimaeus wanted the gift of site.  He knew he was blind, and he wanted the ability to see.  I have been pondering how we recognize our own blindness.  Does human pride block the possibility that we may actually hold some ignorance?  Perhaps there is an element of superiority?  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor, and theologian who was executed in 1945 in Nazi Germany, suggested that this kind of blindness is more of a sociological problem than a psychological problem.  It frequently begins in groups of like-minded people.  And they can bond together in such a way that identity with the group supersedes the need for greater understanding or finding truth.  Bartimaeus approaches Jesus not from a place of comfort, or strength. He defies the voices of the populace, the group surrounding Jesus. He approaches Jesus from his deficiency and his vulnerability. Having thrown his cloak aside, he boldly states, Master, I want to see”.

Jesus’ answer back to the Sadducees is that you are not what you claim to be.  What challenging words these are for us as we live in such challenging times.

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province. He resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

2 Peter 3:12-15,17-18
Mark 12:13-17

Reflection:

“…a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells…”

Today’s two Scripture readings shine a light on our 21^st Century world scene: many challenges face us, and Jesus reminds us that we are to live our faith in the day-to-day events that at times can cause us trouble — and at other times feed our souls. 

The letter of St. Peter encourages his readers to be on guard against the temptations and errors of their contemporary world: injustice, fears, poverty, hopelessness, etc. are all too rampant back then and now.  He reminds his readers that the day of the Lord will come, after a time of purification, with a new earth and a special grace to help all be renewed and thus glorify God in every part of life. 

Mark’s Gospel selection shares Jesus being addressed by some Pharisees and Herodians who were sent to Jesus to trap him in His speech.  They first flattered Him as truthful and concerned.  Then their question about paying the census tax: yes, or no?  With few chosen words, Jesus encourages paying to Caesar what belongs to Caesar…and to God what belongs to God.  Human laws are one thing, but God is the ultimate giver of all else.  We belong to the human world, but also are destined for a new earth and a new heaven with God.  In every part of life we are to remember that our dignity, worth and sense of belonging cannot be taken from us:  we “belong” to God as members of God’s family.

Life today presents us with many challenges to live as credible disciples of Jesus. Our 21^st Century world has its “Caesars” with perhaps evil and selfish spirits, and we have Jesus and our Christ-like leaders encouraging us to live faithful lives and treasure our common home. As Church, we thank God for the blessings of each day, and offer our lives to help spread the Good News.  With God’s grace, as Psalm 90 reminds us:  “…may we shout for joy and gladness all our days…”

Fr. John Schork, C.P. serves as the Province Vocation Director and also as Local Superior of the Passionist Community of Holy Name in Houston, Texas.  

Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs

Scripture:

2 Peter 1:2-7
Mark 12:1-12

Reflection:

I often notice that a cartoon, or even a stand-up comedian in his or her act, can ‘say’ things that might in other contexts lead to prosecution. Society at large, let alone rich and powerful individuals, make allowances for some message delivered in a way that makes the recipient laugh – often at themselves.

This is not a new phenomenon, allegory, satire and humour have been a way of influencing those with power throughout history. Witness the important role across cultures and history of the Court Jester! This seemingly powerless, clown-like person was often the one to change a ruler’s heart by alluding to some truth, or personal foible of the ruler himself or herself, and thus changing their mood or decisions.

Jesus likewise used allegory in the form of parables to ‘paint’ a word-picture that revealed deeper truths and clear messages of a moral or instructional kind.  The genius of the stories was that the interpretation was not given, the listener remained free to ‘hear’ at the level they were capable of, and to act in accord with the message.

So often the poor and disposed heard the truth enshrined in these parables, and responded, whilst the rich and powerful were confronted and challenged and so often choose not to respond. 

The courage of Jesus is often witnessed in the crafting of the parables too. His capacity to make a parable a microcosm of the crowd around him, and of their behaviour, was astounding.

Here today we see the same dynamic. Jesus addresses the scribes, chief priests, and elders, who are a part of his audience. They are listening to their own story and behaviour, acted out for them by the characters in the parable – the tenant farmers. They see their own violence, their selfishness and their unadulterated desire for possession of that is not theirs to own – all on display.

The truth confronts them deeply, and they are tempted to act out in a manner exactly as the parable portrays the actions of the tenants – but fear prevails, and they slip away. 

They miss the opportunity for a conversion of heart inspired by the truth as revealed in the parable. Rather, they demonstrate a lack of capacity to hear and respond, and merely hear and react. As we will see, they  allow self-deception to reign within their consciousness till it overwhelms them. In the course of the life of Jesus, they will become the ‘tenant farmers’ and act out the parable to its bitter and sad conclusion. Rather than face the truth they destroy the source of the truth.  

The ‘vineyard’ has now been given to us – we are the stewards of God’s creation and caretakers of the people of God. Let us serve with distinction.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is the Provincial Superior of Holy Spirit Province, Australia. 

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Scripture:

Exodus 24:3-8
Hebrews 9:11-15
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

Reflection:

Be then what you see and receive what you are.  -St. Augustine of Hippo

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is also known as the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, which translates from Latin to “Body of Christ.” This feast is celebrated on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday or, as in the USA, on the Sunday following that feast.

We celebrate the Eucharist at every Mass, and this solemn feast serves to remind us once each year of the tremendous gifts of the Eucharist:

—the Real Presence of Christ in the bread and wine, His Body and Blood, and                         
—the Body of Christ as it is present in the Church.

The Church is the Body of Christ because of the intimate communion which Jesus shares with us. He nurtures us with His own Body and Blood, his Life Force. “Take it; this is my body.” (Mark 14:22)
This allows both unity and diversity in the Church.

At my parish in downtown Detroit, I love to watch people process to the front of church to receive Holy Communion. The retired judge and his wife from the suburbs walk up the middle aisle with a man with a limp, who comes to church on a bike. Both have found a new church home at my parish after their parishes closed. The woman who was sleeping in her car two years ago is now studying to make vows with the Secular Franciscans. A single mother and her 19-year-old daughter are celebrating the Mom’s last chemo treatment. A woman brings Communion to her husband who waits for her in their pew; he cannot make it to the front anymore. It is very touching to witness the vulnerability and the faithfulness of my fellow parishioners.

After more than twenty years in my parish, I know many of the parishioners well. They know my story, and I know theirs. Despite our differences, our bonds of friendship are strong—when we walk together toward the altar to receive Communion, we share something that binds us together: the Life of Christ which nourishes each of us as individuals and as a community. In the words of St. Augustine, we become what we receive.

In a sermon to some new members of the Church, St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo in north Africa said: “You hear the words, the “Body of Christ’ and you reply “Amen”. Be then a member of Christ’s body, so that your ‘Amen” may accord with the truth…Be then what you see and receive what you are.”

Patty Gillis is a retired Pastoral Minister. She served on the Board of Directors at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit. She is currently a member of the Laudato Si’ Vision Fulfillment Team and the Passionist Solidarity Network.

Scripture:

Jude 17, 20b-25
Mark 11: 27-33

Reflection:

The author of Mark’s Gospel writes just enough to catch our attention, and then leaves us to consider the depths of the passage.  That is the case with today’s reading. The chief priests, elders and scribes are again trying to trap Jesus. He agrees to answer their questions, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you the authority to do them?”, if they first answer His question, “Was John’s baptism of heavenly or human origin?” They are so afraid of the crowd they cannot agree among themselves how to answer Jesus, so He refuses to answer their question.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Justin the Martyr, a Greek philosopher in the early church.  He debated with and preached to Greek and Roman pagans which ultimately led to his death.  Unlike the chief priests, elders and scribes, Justin bravely answered questions while preaching an unpopular and ultimately dangerous message. Justin’s life was a living witness of the Holy Spirit’s gift of fortitude. 

Most of us will never face life threatening challenges for our beliefs, but we may be in situations that challenge us to speak out on our Christian beliefs. Perhaps we are worn down with the difficulties of daily living due to financial burden, illness, addiction, and difficult relationships. In those moments, we should keep in mind the words of Pope Francis:

“Dear friends, sometimes we may be tempted to give in to laziness, or worse, to discouragement, especially when faced with the hardships and trials of life. In these cases, let us not lose heart, let us invoke the Holy Spirit so that through the gift of fortitude he may lift our heart and communicate new strength and enthusiasm to our life and to our following of Jesus.”

Mike Owens is coordinator of the Passionist Alumni Association and a member of the Migration Commission of Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3:14-18a, or Romans 12:9-16
Luke 1:39-56

Reflection:

Happy Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

In today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:39-56), Mary, after hearing the news from the angel that she would give birth to the Messiah, traveled “in haste” from Nazareth to the house of her cousin Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, which was in a village in the hill country of Judea. When Mary arrived, she found her elderly cousin also pregnant.  Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary, “filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

In 1987, I was a senior in high school and on retreat with my classmates in the hills above Malibu Beach, California. Wow, what a tough area for a teen to have to go on retreat!  Truly, it was a great weekend, though.  We discussed God and how he related to us as young men in the world, and as we played games and ate good food, and really had nothing to worry about.

Until it was time to prepare to receive the Holy Eucharist.

We were told to go to confession before mass. All the while standing in line I was thinking, “Let’s see… I can’t tell him that or that, oooh, and certainly not that!” I was so embarrassed of the things I’d done. I just couldn’t tell anyone… but especially not a priest! I was so ashamed of so very much, the least of which was that this was the first time I’d be going to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation through all of high-school.

Well, I finally went in.  I was honest and embarrassed, but the priest didn’t seem surprised or put off by anything I said.  He gave me my penance, which consisted of one Our Father and 3 Hail Marys, and then to think about what I’d done.  I diligently prayed those prayers, thought about what I’d done, and then I thought something else:

“Confession is silly. 
I don’t need a middleman.
I’m just going to tell God directly.
That’ll be good enough.”

I’ll bet I’m not alone in that thought…  And I’ll bet I’m not alone in admitting that, at the time, I didn’t realize how so very silly that statement really was.

Fast-forward about 25 years, and I had not been to confession since that retreat.  But I’d grown incredibly weary of trying to ignore God’s call to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And I was so broken I didn’t think anyone could put me back together again. But, friends, let me tell you something – I mustered up all my courage and went.

I was in the confessional for what seemed like a half-hour, and when it was done I went to perform my penance.  This time it was also one Our Father, and three Hail Marys, but I was directed to go and sit with the Blessed Sacrament, quietly, and ponder the words to those prayers as I offered them.  I’d prayed them so many times, though! What new things could there be for me to think about? 

Well, at that moment, I became the silly one…

Here are the three parts of the Lord’s Prayer that stung me most.

“Our Father…”                                    This means that everyone is my sister or brother.
                                                            Even that beggar on the freeway off-ramp and
                                                            the thief that stole my identity.
“Thy will be done…”                           This means I must let go of my agenda and embrace
                                                            what God wants.  But I want what I want!
“Forgive us our trespasses,”               Uh-oh. So, I’m telling God that I expect to be
as we forgive those                             forgiven, but *only* to the extent to which I’m willing
who trespass against us.”                   to forgive that person that hit me? The person who
                                                            lied? Or stole from me? Betrayed me… destroyed me
                                                            to my core?
Pretty big thoughts. 

But it was in my reflecting on the Ave Maria – the Hail Mary – the simple prayer to our Mother of Sorrows, the Mater Dolorosa, that hit me most deeply.

“Hail, Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb – Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us,
sinners,
now,
and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Which part of that prayer, first uttered by St. Elizabeth, stands out most to you?  For me, it was these two lines: “The Lord is with thee.  Pray for us, sinners.”

We, sinners, who need all the help we can get, have it — if only we would ask. 

That day, this prayer we read about on the beautiful Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary reminded me that I’m not alone, even if I feel like I am, even if I want to be.  If only I would just tear down my walls and open my heart, I’d have the space for  God, my Father, Jesus, my Brother, the Holy Spirit, my very breath.

Well, after I pondered all this, and more, I experienced the most amazing thing… Friends, there is nothing I’ve felt more powerfully than when I’ve received Jesus during communion after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The intimate and powerful meeting with God is amplified so deeply when we acknowledge our failings and our brokenness, and then get to actually hear someone tell us, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The peace and lightness are palpable, and staggering.

Now I hit the confessional pretty regularly… and boy do I need it.  And the Ave Maria is one of my favorite prayers.  But perhaps when I next pray the beautiful Hail Mary I’ll be reminded that she’s waiting to visit me, to help me, to ask God to be with me when I’m most in need. 

Like right now. 
And tomorrow. 
And at the hour of my death. Amen.

Peace and love to you, 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 Retreat Center.