Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
Matthew 9:9-13

Reflection:

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  –Matthew 9:11

They say you can gain a sense of a person by the company they keep. Who among us has not felt a little pride when we have met or even shared bread with a celebrity or person of note? In our parishes, “Dinner with Father” is often auctioned off with great success at fundraisers. I still remember shaking John Glenn’s hand at an event over 20 years ago, and yet often I cannot remember the name of someone I was introduced to 15 minutes later. We place great store on the reputation of others and how it might rub off (for good or bad) on us.

I imagine this was something of what the Pharisees had in mind when they questioned Jesus’ disciples. They must have been flabbergasted that Jesus chose to eat with outsiders and the marginalized when he could choose to eat with the rich and famous (them). Instead, Jesus’ answer was simple: ‘This is what I came to do’. And, as always, Jesus calls us to do the same. Who are the “tax collectors and sinners” in our lives with whom we can break bread? Not just sinners in the traditional sense, but possibly our own family or friends who have “trespassed against us?” Can we find in our hearts the space to invite in those we marginalize?

But to go even deeper, are there parts of ourselves that need healing? Have we declared some parts of who we are to be outsiders and shunned them? Earlier in Matthew Jesus calls us to “be perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” The Greek word teleios which is translated as “perfect” can also mean “complete” or “whole.” Are there wounded parts of ourselves that need to be brought back to the table for healing and forgiveness before we can be whole?

Jesus is forever crossing the lines of what we feel is proper conduct. My prayer today is that I have the courage and strength to follow Him across those lines, both outwardly and in myself.

Talib Huff works and volunteers at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights. He can be reached at [email protected].

Scripture:

Genesis 22:1-19
Matthew 9:1-8

Reflection:

God is Good…All the Time!!

The above phrase is truly fitting for us as we Americans celebrate our God-given gift of Freedom this 4^th of July.  God continues to bless us with many gifts, challenging us to be good stewards of those gifts and generous in sharing these resources with people “down the street” and “around the world”.  As people of faith, we call out:  “God is good…all the time!”

God’s goodness comes alive for us today as we ponder the Scriptures for today, Thursday of the 13^th Week in Ordinary Time.  Our Genesis reading offers the touching story of Abraham as he faithfully sought to respond to God’s call to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac; the saga takes a welcome turn when the divine Messenger halts the sacrifice and acknowledges Abraham’s deep faith.  Abraham was thus blessed to become the father of many peoples, part of God’ unfolding plan of salvation, ultimately accomplished in Jesus.  Matthew’s Gospel story of Jesus’ multi-dimensional cure of the paralytic bespeaks God’s goodness in the forgiveness of sinfulness and the healing of illness and human limitations.  The cured man was told to take up his stretcher and go home…to join the others in glorifying God who is all-loving.  “God is good…all the time!”

Today, in the midst of the festivities and fireworks, the food and fellowship that characterize this celebration of Independence, we’re invited to pause and reflect – to be grateful for the goodness of God shared in so many ways, and then to recommit ourselves to lives that are faith-filled and other-centered.  We may not be tested as was Abraham; our problems may not be as limiting as those of the paralytic – yet we are invited to proclaim God’s goodness in word and deed.  With Abraham and Isaac, with the crowds that witnessed the cure of the paralytic, with the psalmist who shared with us the beautiful thoughts of Psalm 115:  may we bless and glorify God, walking in God’s presence…all the time!  Amen!

Fr. John Schork, C.P. is a member of the Passionist community in Chicago, Illinois. 

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:19-22
John 20:24-29

Reflection:

“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. Through him, the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Eph. 2:19-22

How fantastic that we are part of the household of God! We are brothers and sisters with the saints and holy ones, and together we are the place where God dwells in the Spirit. It’s hard to imagine that when we get caught up in our daily troubles or in the really difficult trials of life this side of heaven. But it’s true! How blest we are to have access to the communion of saints. We can learn so much from them! And they are at this very moment praying for us and cheering us on to the finish line.

One of my favorite saints is Francis of Assisi. I was fortunate to go on a pilgrimage and visit Assisi one year. We found a bronze statue of Francis laying on the ground hands behind his head gazing up into the sky. His sandals are near him in the grass. I knew we were kindred spirits at that moment. One day I will meet him and we will share this favorite pastime!

And in today’s Gospel, I love how the Lord responded to Thomas’s statement that he had to see before he could believe. He simply gave him exactly what he asked for so that he could believe. He didn’t berate him but loved him just as he was and he will do the same for us. We can take comfort and courage from the stories of our older brothers and sisters in the faith. Pick a saint today, read about their life, and then ask them to pray for you as you continue your journey toward meeting God and meeting them!

Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Bainbridge Island, Washington, and partnered with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 6. Janice also leads women’s retreats and recently published her second book: God IS with Us. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.janicecarleton.com/.

Scripture:

Genesis 19:15-29
Matthew 8:23-27

Reflection:

I’m not much of a seafarer. In fact, I’ve rarely been at sea save for the occasional ferry journey between islands in various Passionist Mission territories. In the case of my own homeland there are not too many neighbouring islands within ferry distance save for the ferry from the mainland to the island state of Tasmania which is an 11-hour overnight journey.

However, I do have vivid childhood memories of the ferry ride from the City of Perth to Rottnest Island some 34 kilometres from Perth (approximately 21 miles). [Rottnest Island is home to the Australian quokka – a marsupial and which looks like a very small version of a kangaroo (they belong to the same family as the kangaroo or wallaby). The early Dutch explorers thought they were rats, thus the name ‘rats nest’ i.e. ‘rott nest’ island.]

Anyway, back to the boat ride from Perth to Rottnest. As my family returned from a day on the island, the boat ran into a sudden and severe storm and the previously calm sea became angry and fierce. Waves exploded over the side of the boat and everyone had to hold on for dear life. As a child it was an exciting ride, much like a roller-coaster, but when I look back and recall the look of concern and worry on the faces of my mother and father, I can now appreciate that they were very worried for the safety of their family. A fearfulness that revealed a deeper concern and love.

In today’s gospel reading we see a scene of the disciples gripped by fear too, but perhaps a fear for their own lives!

However, let’s shift our focus from mere seafaring fears to those that arise in life itself.  For if we look at the story with a view to its symbolic significance then we might see the sea as a great symbol of time and history and the boat as image of the little church sailing faithfully across the oceans of time and space bearing the good news of Jesus to every land.

In such a scenario the fear of the disciples in our story might mirror the fears and concerns that Christians have had to face across the entire history of the Church. For in every age the Church has been lashed by ‘storms’! Further we might venture to suggest that in the life journey of every Christian there comes a time when faith is sorely tested and to keep a steady course, and witness to Christ above all else, is very difficult indeed.

The disciples today confirm a pattern that Christians have followed for ages on end. In times of concern and threat we naturally turn to the one who has power to save us.  Perhaps we need not feel guilty to do so. The disciples themselves show us the prayer that seems to arise spontaneously from within….. “Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”

Let us hold fast to our trust that Jesus will always be the one who seeks to save us. He is ready to rebuke the winds and seas that rouble us and to restore calm to our frightened hearts. We may encounter many fears long life’s journey but let us never be afraid to turn to him in our trials!

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

Scripture:

Genesis 18:16-33
Matthew 8:18-22

Reflection:

Two very different Scripture passages are found in the readings for this Monday, the first day of July.  Each reveals the marvels of the Bible.

The first is a very famous passage from the Book of Genesis.  In a previous scene, Abraham and Sarah were visited by three mysterious visitors as they camped under the Terebinth tree at Mamre, near Hebron.  These three visitors turned out to be the divine presence, a startling reality that the patriarch Abraham begins to realize.  He and Sarah offer their visitors hospitality, as is the Middle Eastern custom still, and when the meal was complete, the visitors predict that Sarah, who along with Abraham was elderly and childless, would bear a son.  She laughs behind the tent flap at such a preposterous prediction but the heavenly visitor replies: “Nothing is impossible with God.”—a phrase that will be repeated by the Angel Gabriel to Mary at the moment of the Annunciation in Luke’s Gospel.

The scene in today’s first reading follows on this remarkable incident.  The visitors accompany Abraham to the city of Sodom and Gomorrah—the Bible’s prize candidates for the most corrupt cities in the world!   The Lord speaks to Abraham in familiar terms, as if he were a trusted friend, and reveals that he is so offended by the sins of these cities that he will destroy them.  This triggers the touching scene where Abraham barters with God, seeking to quell the Lord’s anger.  The mechanism of bargaining is something very familiar to Middle Eastern cultures to this day.  Surely, Abraham says, God did not want to sweep away the innocent with the guilty!  So, what if there are fifty innocent people in the city?  God concedes he would spare Sodom if he found fifty innocent people there.  And Abraham then pushes his luck—What about forty-five?  Or even thirty?  How about twenty?  And, Abraham sensing he is at the limits, says, “Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.  What if there are at least ten there?”  And God, his anger seemingly quieted by Abraham’s bargaining, agrees, “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.”

As so frequently happens in Genesis, God is portrayed in very human terms.  In this enticing scene, the Scriptures both underscore the infinite power of God and, at the same time, God’s inclination to mercy and forgiveness.  As the response psalm 103 for today acclaims: “Merciful and gracious is the lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness.”

The gospel reading for today is from Matthew’s Gospel and gives us a glimpse of the cost of discipleship.  Two would-be disciples approach Jesus, declaring that they want to follow him—the gospel definition of what discipleship means.  But Jesus’ words here and in other parts of the Gospel underscore that following Jesus requires commitment and awareness of the cost that might be involved.  Following a Jesus who gives his life for others requires a generosity of spirit and courage.  Thus the one disciple who confidently declares he will follow Jesus “wherever you go” is warned that “…the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head,” and the other is confronted with Jesus’ demand that no other priority can match the call to follow Jesus with all our heart and soul: “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

Two very different biblical passages today, but each alerting us to the power and beauty of God and the Christian life.

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:

1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21
Galatians 5:1, 13-18
Luke 9:51-62

Reflection:

Hands.  Look at your hands for a minute.  Handy things, these hands.

In Chapter 49 of the book of the prophet Isaiah, we read this beautiful line, “See, in the palms of my hands I have written your name.”

And in Chapter 64, the prophet Isaiah proclaims, “O Lord, we are the clay and you the potter.  We are all the work of your hands.“

In the New Testament, Jesus – with his hands – feeds the hungry, heals the blind, and calls his apostles.  With his hands he lifts Peter out of the water.  And with his outstretched hands nailed to the cross, Jesus saves us.

In the gospel today we hear about Jesus once again calling people to be his disciples.  We can just picture Jesus beckoning with his hands, “Come.  Come, follow me.”  Jesus is also saying, “No excuses.  Don’t delay.  Now is the time to be my disciple.  Put your hands to the plow and go straight ahead with me to the kingdom.  Don’t look back.” 

Some people have replied to Jesus wholeheartedly.  Others weakly, or not at all.  How do we know how strong our commitment is to the Lord?  How do we know how well we are doing in answering the Lord’s call?   The answer?  Look at our hands.

Do we lend a hand to carry another’s burden?
Do we use our hands to wipe away another’s tears?
Do we use our hands to feed the poor and clothe the needy?
So we use our hands to soothe and comfort, to heal and protect?
Do we clap our hands and cheer others on, giving support to the bereaved and encouragement to the brokenhearted?
Are our hands free of bribes and any dishonesty?
Do we reach out our hands in hospitality?
Do we take a hand in government by voting and speaking out?
Do we open our hands in prayer to ask for help?
Do we lift up our hands in prayer to give thanks?
Do we use our hands to guide others to Christ?
Do we hold hands in a circle of unity and peace with your family and community?

Let us live, resolved to follow Jesus, with our hands firmly gripping that plow.

Yes, He who is almighty will do great things through us — as He did through Mary, the “handmaiden” of the Lord.

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 Peter and Paul

Scripture:

Acts 12:1-11
Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
Matthew 16:13-19

Reflection:

Today we honor Saints Peter and Paul, two very human individuals who were open to the Spirit of God.   God came to Peter while Peter was fishing.  Peter was a man who worked with his hands in a sometimes uncertain profession.  God encountered Paul on the road.  Paul was a man riding around on a horse looking for people to persecute.  In both cases, God met these individuals in their own life experience, exactly where they were at the time.  God approaches us in the same manner.  Richard Rohr describes this encounter for us.

“Any way we receive the Spirit is just as real and just as good as any other. God meets us where we are and makes a healing and expanding presence known to us in the exact way we are most ready to experience it.  God fills our hearts in whatever measure we are open to the Spirit, just like any true Lover might desire to do.  And when grace does happen, we know that we did nothing to deserve it.”

Our own St. Paul of the Cross put it another way as he reflected on God meeting us in our everyday experiences.  “Don’t be afraid of difficulties which come up.  God, who is infinitely good, will be your strength, your comfort.  Cry out, cry out with the Apostle Paul, “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me” (Phil 4:13).”

Terry McDevitt, Ph.D. is a member of our Passionist Family. 

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Scripture:

Ezekiel 34:11-16
Romans 5:5b-11
Luke 15:3-7

Reflection:

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The devotion to the Sacred Heart is one  of the most widely practiced and well-known Roman Catholic devotions, taking Jesus Christ’s physical heart as the representation of his divine love for humanity.  The Passionists are religious institute founded by Saint Paul of the Cross with a special emphasis on and devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ.  Professed members use the initials C.P. (Congregatio Passsionis Jesu Christi) after their names.  Saint Agnes Parish is a Passionist parish dedicated to keeping the Passion of Jesus Christ ever before us.  A known symbol of the congregation is the labeled emblem of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, surmounted by a cross and sewn into the habit worn by its professed members.  Here at Saint Agnes this symbol and the charism of the Passionists are ever before us as noted in our mission statement:

“Embracing Jesus’ love and suffering for all, through worship,
Service, formation and education.”

When we see the symbol of a heart, many images come to mind, including; love, compassion, kindness, tenderness, goodness, courage and care.  Our scriptures today speak of the great love that Jesus has for us in the way he cares for us, forgives us and continues to call us into relationship with him.  We are all familiar with the image of Jesus as Good Shepherd, a feast we celebrated recently in the church year.  Jesus’ love for his sheep (us) is unconditional.  He takes great pains to take care of all of us especially when we stray!

So, how are we called to model the love of God?  How are we called to be good shepherds and shepherdess’?  The answer can be found in these words of Jesus found in our first reading from Ezekiel:

I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
The lost I will seek out,
The strayed I will bring back,
The injured I will bind up,
The sick I will heal.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus inspire and challenge us to take even the smallest steps  to show his loving heart to those most in need in our parishes, families, communities and world.  Amen.

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