Daily Scripture

Solemnity of All Saints

Scripture:

Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12a

Reflection:

The feast of All Saints is surely one of the most beautiful days in the Catholic liturgical year.  The “saints” referred to include not only the great canonized saints the Church lifts up in a formal way for our inspiration, but all of the beloved dead whom each of us know who were good and faithful people even as they were truly human with all of the normal faults and failings each of us has.  We trust that these “holy ones” enjoy the fullness of peace and joy in God’s loving presence.

But in the long tradition of the church reaching back to the New Testament itself, the designation “saint” is not limited to those who have gone before us.  When writing to his fellow Christians in the various community he had evangelized, Paul would refer to them in Greek as “hagioi”, that is, the “holy ones” or “saints.”   Paul was convinced that through baptism, every follower of Jesus was immersed in the death and resurrection of Christ.  We die to sin, that is, we are liberated from the radical power of sin and able to be alive in Christ.We become transformed by the power of God’s Spirit and become truly and fundamentally “holy.”

That is why Paul could describe the Christians in such in such remarkable ways—as being “in Christ,” as “temples of the Holy Spirit,” as “members of the Body of Christ,” as “new creations,” and as “daughters and sons of God.”  Even with our lingering failings, Paul believed we are precious in God’s eyes and capable of great virtue and holiness.  We are “saints” in this radical sense.

The Scripture readings for this great feast echo this same perspective.  This particularly true of the reading from the First Letter of John, one of most beautiful books of the New Testament.  The author reminds us at the outset that through the love of God we are able to be called “children of God.”  Our present state as beloved children of God is, in a sense, a warm-up for what we shall become: “We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”  The first account of creatin in Genesis affirms that we were made “in the image and likeness” of God, and the second account of creation describes the human being as a “bag of clay” into which God breathes the spirit of life.  John continues that biblical tradition in affirming that we “shall be like God..”

What should be the characteristics of those who bear the image of God?  The Gospel reading from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel gives us a glimpse of the qualities of those who are the “sons and daughters” of God.  They are those who adopt God’s favor for people who are vulnerable and in need: the poor, those who mourn, the meek or oppressed peoples, those who “hunger and thirst” for justice.  And they reflect the very attitudes of Jesus’ himself: merciful, clean of heart, peacemakers, willing to endure opposition and suffering in witnessing to the gospel.

The feast of All Saints that we celebrate today honors the full expanse of God’s family—those who have gone before us into the abundance of God’s love and blessing; those of us here on earth who have been endowed with God’s own image and strive to live in a way that reflects our true nature as children of God.

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:

Romans 8:31b-39
Luke 13:31-35

Reflection:

Our time on earth is filled with beautiful moments.  Gifts from God of incredible grandeur and also of intense simplicity flood our days and our nights.  From the Great Artist painting every sunrise and every sunset, to the flowers and trees; the love of friend and family to a joyful smile from a stranger, God showers us all with the most amazing gifts.

And yet, there are times – many, I’d venture to guess – we must face things we don’t want… times we must face things which are difficult, things which we know will hurt us.  From something as simple as a awkward conversation with a coworker, or perhaps an honest talk with a friend which hurt you, to more challenging things like standing up to a bully (of any age in life), or jumping in to protect the innocent.  Perhaps being forced to accept a medical diagnosis you just don’t want to hear, or having to watch a parent age quickly.  Losing all you have due to theft or natural disaster.  It can be as terrible as being dragged through the death of a relationship, or experiencing the dying of someone you deeply love.  These are all points when we have to stand on the rubble of the moment, and of all the past moments, and wonder about the journey, the purpose of it all, the plan God has for us.

As ashamed as I am to admit it, I sometimes try to run away.

No-one is immune from the horrors of this earthly life.  Not St. Paul, not the Psalmist, not even Jesus.  This past Sunday, Paul reflected on his situation, being imprisoned and awaiting punishment, saying “I am already being poured out like a libaton.” (II Timothy 4:6)   Today, he declares “We are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered,”  (Romans 8:36), as the Psalmist writes, “My heart is pierced within me.” (Psalm 109:22b)  Even Jesus hears the warning, “Go, leave this place, for Herod wants to kill you.”  (Luke 13:31)

As much as I’d rather run away, Jesus sets the ultimate example.

As terrifying and saddening as these statements – these realities – are, in nearly the same breath we are reminded to not lose hope, to be patient and to seek the great joy and love of God.  Jesus replies standing up and calling Herod a “fox” (the literal translation would be closer to “jackal,” an insult in ancient Greek).  He says “You go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.  I must continue on my way.”  (Luke 13:32-33a)

We can weather the storms of life with Jesus at our side, for, as the Psalmist also writes, “He stands at the right hand of the poor man to save him.” (Psalm 109:31)  Saint Paul, though, says it as completely as I think possible:

“If God is for us, then who can be against us?
All these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:31b, 37-39)

As Passionists, as Christians, we know the glorious dawning of life which blasts forth from the tomb of darkness.  Sometimes we have to wade through the muck – sometimes we have to be covered with manure – sometimes we must be nailed to the cross and face our trials.  But on the other side, friends, with Jesus walking with us, is joy, love, and a new life beyond all imagination.

Dear God, thank you for the gift of all the gifts you give us. Grant us the strength to stand on the rubble, hold our heads high, and look to the light as we step forward on the path laid before us. Amen.

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 Passionist Retreat Center.

Scripture:

Romans 8:26-30
Luke 13:22-30

Reflection:

As I remember, my sister and I had a very loving mother.  But when I was ten years old and my sister was thirteen, our mother passed away.  Ovarian cancer.  She was forty-four.  It was a tragedy for my sister and me to lose our mother.  And it was a tragedy for our father to lose his wife.

Our mother was the second of nine children.  As time went on, our father remarried.  He married one of our mother’s younger sisters, our Aunt Mary.  Our aunt became our second mother.  And from this second marriage came a new brother.  He eventually married and blessed our family two beautiful children.

Our second mother was a woman with great faith and a loving heart.  She helped my sister and me through adolescence and was a great help to us in our adult years.  She lived to be ninety-three and left us with a lot of wonderful memories.

Looking back over that experience helps me understand what St. Paul tells us today.  “We know that all things work for good for those who love God…”  Our family loved God. And after great sadness God worked great good for us. The loss of a mother at age ten was a Calvary experience, but many Easter blessings followed.

I knew a woman who was born without any legs.  A great hardship.  She could not walk, run or dance, and do so many things that we healthy people take for granted.  But she had a good mind, received a good education, and eventually became the registrar at our major seminary.

Over the years she became the unofficial counselor to many of us who were fortunate to know her.  Her personal suffering led her to become a person of great wisdom, compassion and insight.  Those of us with strong backs could lift her and her wheelchair up over curbs and stairs. And she helped us over emotional mountains in our lives.  She loved God.  And God worked great good through her.  Again, from death came resurrection.   She now gives thanks in heaven.

The Thirteenth Station.  We see Mary holding the dead body of Jesus on her lap.  Mater Dolorosa.  That day on Calvary Mary must have cried and cried and cried…and then hoped.  She knew in her heart what St. Paul was to later write to the Romans, that “all things work for good for those who love God.”   Mary certainly loved God.  She trusted.  She waited.  And Easter came.

Whenever we face pain and sorrow, Mary inspires us to trust and hope. The power of God who raised Jesus from the dead is at work in our lives too.  Once we realize that, we will live each day with profound gratitude.   I assure you that my sister (now in heaven), my younger brother and I continue to give thanks and praise.

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

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:19-22
Luke 6:12-16

Reflection:

Today the church commemorates Saint Simon and Saint Jude.  They were loyal followers of Jesus and spent their lives spreading the good news throughout the Middle East and were martyred together in Beirut, in the Roman province of Syria.  Neither Simon nor Jude are mentioned very often in the Scriptures.  We give thanks for them and their ministry as the priceless gift from God that both of them exemplified during their lifetime.

A question to ask ourselves this day as we reflect on how Saint Simon and Saint Jude lived out their call as followers of Christ might be;

HOW DO WE SHARE THE GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN US?!

In the first reading from Ephesians we hear a clarion call in answer to this question.

Brothers and sisters:  you are no longer strangers and sojourners,
            But you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the
            Household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and
            Prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.

We don’t have to look far today to see the suffering that is being experienced by God’s people at our borders, on our city streets, in our families, at the door of our soup kitchens and inside and outside the doors of our churches, service agencies and government structures.

Jesus called the apostles to preach the good news and to share their gifts with others.  We, who have been blessed with so much have the responsibility to step up to the plate and do the same.  During the months of October and November we take time to reflect on the lives of the saints, those holy women and men who have gone before us in faith.  We may not be called to follow exactly the path that they trod but, we are called to lead lives of prayer and service in small ways that help others.

In the coming weeks, let us take time to prayerfully reflect on the issues that surround us and as faithful citizens exercise our right to vote so that our brothers and sisters may enjoy a better life.  May we make it a priority to volunteer at the local soup kitchen, collect food and clothing for the needy, attend the city council hearing in favor of providing adequate housing and care for the homeless.  Let us continue to be that voice for those who have no voice because of color, race, culture, religion.  Saint Mother Teresa reminds us “it is not necessary to do big things, rather do small things with great love.”

May we welcome the stranger and the sojourners among us, acknowledge them as fellow citizens and members of the household of God and follow the example of all the saints, especially Saint Simon and Saint Jude so that others may recognize and follow our example of being good and faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

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

Scripture:

Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Luke 18:9-14

Reflection:

So many rich words from today’s readings… “though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he years the cry of the oppressed”; “the Lord hears the cry of the poor – those crushed in spirit he saves”; “I have competed well, I have finished the race”; “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted”.

Growing up in Houston, I remember my Grandmother telling me stories of her days working at St. Joseph’s hospital. I remember the hospital building from my childhood – as you drove into downtown Houston on IH45, St. Joseph’s Professional building was easy to spot – the tall brown building was adorned with a cross.

In my ignorance of youth, that cross didn’t mean much to me – now the building has been placed on the market and the cross has been removed, and today that makes me sad. That place is where one of the Sisters gave my Baptist Grandmother the beautiful rosary of one of the Sisters who had passed away, and at my confirmation in my 17^th year, my Grandmother gave that rosary to me.

My point here is that we serve this amazing God, this presence – who we only know through faith, feeling His presence, reading His word – who protects and loves and cherishes us, and yet we remove these symbols of him from our world – these reminders of his death on the cross. And yet, he remembers the least of us. Patients entering those doors, no matter what their financial status, were treated and cared for by the Sisters, who were being Christ to others. He is always closer to us than the air we breathe, and yet some will hesitate to mention His name to others, share the gospel, be Christ to others – the homeless on the street, the elderly, the forgotten.

HE hears us and loves us unconditionally – we cannot forget him. He will never turn His back on us when we feel deserted because He will stand by us and give us strength. He will never forsake us because we are poor or weak. He knows all, sees all, and is the final judge who judges justly and affirms the right – BUT, we must honor Him, revere Him, REMEMBER HIM, love and respect Him, and continually, and most importantly, pray to Him and never lose sight of his goodness and strength. Our faith in Him is what saves us, our love of Him is what sustains us, and His goodness and mercy are what carry us through our deepest hurts and our most joyous moments.

Patty Masson resides in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

Romans 8:1-11
Luke 13:1-9

Reflection:

There’s always hope. We need to live in hope. We cannot give up hope.

Today’s story about the fruitless fig tree may seem…well, fruitless. Yet the gardener implores the owner to let him try to coax the tree into bearing fruit. The gardener sees beyond the dryness of the tree. He sees the potential. We don’t know whatever happened to the tree, but that’s not the point.

Living in hope is not the same as wishful thinking. We have hope when we sense that the fullness of life is not yet realized. Somehow, we know there is more, there is potential. Hope is the source of conversion and transformation. Hope points us to a better life for ourselves, for our families, for our world.

Today is the birthday of a dear friend. I value and honor his friendship. He embodies a life lived in hope. Day after day for more than a dozen years now he chooses to live sober. Through the help and encouragement of family and friends, he came to the brutal realization that he had so much potential that was being frustrated by alcohol. He lives every day in hope.

For me, there is nothing sadder than to hear that someone feels hopeless. Too many young people see no future for themselves. Returning from the ravages of war, soldiers feel overwhelmed. Chronic political gridlock causes many to become cynics.

Into our hearts and into our world comes Jesus with words of hope. “Get up and walk.” “Your sins are forgiven.” “Come and see.” “Do not be afraid.” And on and on. He knows our potential. Listen to him and you’ll never be without hope.

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:

Romans 7:18-25a
Luke 12:54-59

Reflection:

We celebrate the two great deeds of God in our regard: creation and redemption.  In creation He provides us all we need to be happy in this life, and to lead a life in His company, designedly and of set purpose, for ages unending.  Or, at least, that was His intent in creation.

Due to unforeseen (?) circumstances, there was a change into plan B, and a new arrangement came into play called redemption.   God was not to be outplayed in His dealings with us, and so He now has a backup, supporting program to help us where we fall short.

So as we listen to today’s gospel, we hear Jesus appealing to the natural endowments His Father has bestowed on us, urging us to be attentive to them.   He notes our skill at predicting weather changes, based on the experience we have gleaned from doing so, thanks to the skills we have from His creative action in our lives.  But then He pushes His point a bit further: why can’t we interpret the present time, what is going on around us?  Similarly, while we have learned to develop ways and means of addressing arguments among us, why do we have to rely on these procedures since we should be able to judge what is right by dint of our own natural endowments?

So, the upshot of all this is that we have capabilities from our creation to produce a wealth of experience to handle many of life’s conundrums, but still some major hurdles bedevil us, and Jesus brings these to our attention.

Even more to the point, in today’s remarks of St. Paul to the church in Rome, we see him baffled by our penchant for willingness to do the right thing, but, when the chips are down, we fail to do so.  We do the evil we’re dead against and omit the good we want to do.   Even if we know ourselves well because we’ve taken the enneagram, there’s a portion of ourselves that escapes our control.

What we have here is the creative work of God falling short before the inroads of sin in our lives, setting the stage for the redemptive work of God to take over and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  And Jesus is the centerpiece of this redemptive rescue mission, especially by His death on the Cross, which is the heart of God’s redemptive plan.

While the natural law woven into creation is a partial guide along the way (helping us to predict the weather and to KNOW right from wrong), it is the gift of grace flowing from redemption that can help us successfully conclude our passageway through life, so that what begins well, in the endowments we have from creation, ends well, in the gifts we receive from redemption.

Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.