Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Acts 1:15-17, 20-26
John 15:9-17

Reflection:

There are those moments that amaze in the way they deepen an experience.  Prayers and scripture responded to as if we are hearing them for the first time.   Cracked open, as in a tomb, to have a new light revealed.

This morning such a moment occurred as the words of the doxology of the Eucharistic prayer rose with an outpouring of tears as I was praying with today’s gospel reflecting on Jesus’ words to His disciples.  “Remain in my love.”

The moment in Mass when we all seem to kneel a little straighter.  When young parents turn to gather their scattered children onto the kneelers, sometimes placing their arms around them whispering or watching in silence as the priest raises the chalice and paten with the hosts held high and prays these words,

“Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours
forever and ever.”

This morning those words arrived in my heart as an Easter exaltation extolling the restoration of the relational balance between God and all of His creation.   An exaltation we have the opportunity to celebrate and grow into each day as we learn to make our lives our living offering.  To become a true expression of His outpouring of Mercy and Love itself.

We are the prodigal sons and daughters always trying to find our way home.  Welcomed home, and loved through the outstretched arms of His Son on the cross.  No longer orphaned, not left abandoned, but accompanied through our Eucharistic union, communion with Jesus, every step of the way.

Jesus, the gateway, in our eternal relationship with the Triune God.  A relationship restored through His Passion, death and resurrection.   Jesus, the Shepherd, held in the hands of our shepherds at the consecration, bringing us home continually to the Father.

Christ spent His life and death, showing us, and paving the way to witness life lived in the fullness of the Father’s Love.  And yet how often do I find myself still seeking, searching, questioning the “how” as if I have not been gifted sufficient answers.

May we know that it is through His Love and Mercy.   Love and mercy, His enduring answer, to living out His commandment.    “Love one another as I love you.”

M. Walsh, a retreatant and friend of the Passionist community writing in deep gratitude for the charism and vocations of this community.

Scripture:

Acts 9:31-42
John 6:60-69

Reflection:

Problem of Grumbling

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”  Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?”   Jesus was not pleased with grumbling.   God never was.   There is a long Biblical tradition about the evil of grumbling.   There is something of a menacing note about murmuring or Lun in Hebrew.  The word can mean growling.  It reminds me of an old bird dog we had as kids named  “Spotty”.  It was the most peaceful dog I ever met except at dinner time.   When his food was there and one got too close to it, he would growl a most ominous sound.

Grumbling is complaining against God and his plans for us.  It is an insult against the Lord accusing Him of not knowing what He is doing.   Even worse it is a petulant denial of His loving intentions towards us.    Complaining is an unmistakable sign that my will and interests are wiser and more important than God’s plans.   Grumbling stops our spiritual journey to God.  In Scripture, Jewish complaints blocked the Israelites from entering the promised land.   “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.  So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say:  In this desert, your bodies will fall-every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.” Num 14:27

In the New Testament, they grumbled at the love and mercy Jesus showed to  Zacchaeus Luke 19.  In today’s reading, they complained against the Eucharist.   How could Jesus give his body to eat?  They know more than the Lord.   They reject the Eucharist because in their arrogance they reject the way of the Lord.

We in our grumbling are like the little girl who prayed:  “O God, thank you for my new baby brother, but I prayed for a new puppy”.

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

Scripture:

Acts 9:1-20
John 6:52-59

Reflection:

Jesus would have been terrible on Twitter. He didn’t communicate in sound bites, nor use all caps to emphasize his exact message. Instead, he told thought-provoking stories and challenging parables. He employed examples and allegories. He required listeners to work to understand the meaning behind his words.

That’s why many, even some disciples, turned away, especially when he said things like “Eat my flesh; drink my blood.” That was anathema for people in his day (especially the blood part). In fact, it sounds so crazy that I can’t blame them for abandoning this teacher who they felt had finally gone too far. Even we “modern” Catholics with Eucharistic theologies in hand have a hard time looking past the words, instead choosing the safe interpretation embodied in literally eating the consecrated host and sipping from the chalice.

But what if Jesus is asking for more than just consumption? What if he is requiring that his flesh and blood – in other words, who he is and what he is made of – become who we are and what we are made of? What if Jesus wants us to increasingly become a living embodiment of God, and to feed others in the same way? What if Jesus wants us to spill our blood for the salvation of the world? That’s a much tougher message.

Given that the lectionary pairs this Gospel with the story of Paul’s complete turnaround reinforces that transformation is precisely the point. Granted, Paul’s hand was forced by a blinding flash, a vision complete with Christ speaking to him, and blindness that was only healed by a disciple of Jesus. And yet, he allowed the “flesh and blood” of the Christ – the very being of God’s incarnate One – to fully enter in and completely transform his life. He began to live no longer for himself, but for Christ. Driven by an urgent mission, he began doing whatever was necessary to spread the message and bring the Reign of God into being, even though it eventually resulted in his own death.

Such visions are rare – God does not generally force our hand – but accepting the identity and mission of Christ should not be. As Augustine taught, each one of us is called to literally become what we eat, to become the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am blown away when I think of it. I am humbled, unworthy, and frightened. But if I allow it, then every time I approach the table and accept the Body and Blood of Christ into my own body and blood, God can mold my heart, shape my will, and create in me a willing instrument of salvation.

What a challenge! I hope you can join me in responding, “May it be done to me according to your word.”

Amy Florian is a teacher and consultant working in Chicago.  For many years she has partnered with the Passionists.  Visit Amy’s website: http://www.corgenius.com/.

Scripture:

Acts 8:1b-8
John 6:35-40

Reflection:

“ I am the bread of life…whoever comes to me will never hunger…whoever believes in me will never thirst…”

 In this Easter season, we are invited to ‘unpack’ the mysteries of Triduum.  Who is this Jesus of the Resurrection?  What does the Paschal Mystery call us to?  What are our deepest yearnings, and how can they be satisfied?

In today’s gospel, we hear the familiar, yet challenging, introduction to what is known as the Bread of Life Discourse.  Jesus is the bread of life – he doesn’t just come to multiply the loaves, to satisfy physical hunger – he says, “I am the bread of life… come to me…you will never hunger…believe in me you will never thirst” – He came to fulfill our yearnings – but – only if we believe and come to him! 

Henri Nouwen talks of our ‘yearning’ as the forcefield of desire that draws us to God.  Transformation, the work of Easter, calls us to shed our old ways, especially those that have become burdensome.  Trust our yearnings and our responses to the presence of God.

Passionist, Thomas Berry, talks about moments of grace “…by moments of grace, I mean special sacred moments of transformation.  The transformative experiences are the sacred experiences…there are transformation moments when the future is determined in an irreversible manner…what we do now, or don’t do now, will have enormous consequences for the future…”

Can we trust that we are loved and accepted by God simply because we are ‘who’ we are and we are ‘where’ we are.  Do we trust that God listens –patiently and quietly – while we struggle to find words and feelings to hear what God knows is true?  How much he loves us and how much he wants to fulfill our desires.

Can the wounds of the risen Jesus free us to believe that Jesus is where we can go and with whom we can speak from the source of our soul to the truth of our experience and the depth of our heart, so that he can transform our fear, doubt and pain into hope, peace and new life?

Faith Offman is the Associate Director of Ministry at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Acts 7:51-8:1a
John 6:30-35

Reflection:

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”;
and when he said this, he fell asleep.
(Acts 7:59-60)

Let’s see, should I go to lunch with the “Senior Lunch Bunch” or should I just stay home and listen to TV news today? Should I go to the local town hall meeting tonight and listen to people rant and rave or should I stay home, cozy up next to the fireplace and read my book?

I spent my years right out of college looking for a job that would pay me lots of money. A year and a half into that adventure, I was sidetracked into teaching, a not very good paying career in 1970. After ten years of teaching, I got an opportunity to once again pursue that dream of making money, and so I did. That worked for the next sixteen years until I turned fifty and began asking myself what am I living for.

A church group I was involved with at the time was studying Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I joined them and so began a search that continues to this day and is reflected in the above questions. Immediately (well, a year or two into the search) I decided to forget about making lots of money and return to teaching, the one consistent activity in my life that gave me a sense of mission and meaning.

I believe the choices I make today are what I am living and dying for. I have been blessed with a life where I could make such choices. I realize that not everyone has that gift. Many of us, especially the poor and marginalized in our world must take what they can get just to survive and in many cases, not even that.

Stephen’s stoning in today’s scripture selection from Acts, tells of his choice to challenge the religious leaders of his day leading to his stoning and martyrdom.  He could have stayed home and maybe not watch the TV news, or even read a good book, but he certainly could have chosen not to get involved. I suspect that wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime choice for Stephen, but rather an action totally consistent with all his life’s choices. I don’t for a minute, believe my choices today will lead to martyrdom, but I do believe they are what I am dying for. Help me today dear God to make choices that help bring about Your Spirit in my world.

Finally, remarkably, Stephen doesn’t curse his stoners, but prays for their well-being, quite a contrast to my “natural” (?) tendency to get rid of or to at least ignore anyone that would get in the way of my succeeding. Maybe that’s why Stephen is considered a saint.

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

Scripture:

Acts 6:8-15
John 6:22-29

Reflection:

Our world is full of life-killing propaganda about security, happiness, comfort, status, power and wealth. We are bombarded with messages telling us we are not good enough, secure enough, happy enough.

These lies prophets recognize immediately.

The Jewish theologian Abraham Heschel, in his study of prophets, wrote, “The prophet was an individual who said No to his society, condemning its habits and assumption, its complacency, waywardness and syncretism.  He was often compelled to proclaim the very opposite of what his heart expected.  His fundamental objective was to reconcile man to God…due to man’s false sense of sovereignty, to his abuse of freedom, to his aggressive, sprawling pride, resenting God’s involvement in history.”

In today’s gospel passage, Jesus, the greatest of all prophets, called out the superficiality of those chasing him after his multiplication of the loaves and fishes. He challenged them to work instead for “food that lasts, the food of eternal life.”

He expounds further, in verses beyond verse 29, that he, himself is the bread of life. As believers he wants us to literally consume him. We become one with Jesus and, in this unity, we live as Jesus lived: doing the Father’s will. His grace and power carry us.

This is revolutionary. It is life giving and life changing. We are transformed in our surrender to God, as Stephen was: speaking to the Jewish establishment of his joy, his passion, his enthusiasm. He “…was full of grace and power, (and) began to work great miracles and signs among the people.” His prophetic zeal to do God’s work soon cost him his life.

In our essential daily quiet prayer time with God, the Spirit guides us in sorting through the noise, lies and propaganda of modern life. Hidden in the recesses of the din, the Spirit whispers.

If we listen closely, we will receive the insight of what God wants in this moment of our lives. Living prophetically follows, if we choose. It is risky, as Jesus’ and Stephen’s stories reveal, but it is the only path to life.

Jim Wayne is a board member of the Passionists Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office, state legislator, and author of The Unfinished Man. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19

Reflection:

For the Second Sunday of Easter (this Sunday), or Divine Mercy Sunday, the Gospel reading is always John’s account of the encounter between the Risen Jesus and Thomas (John 20:19-31). Although the other disciples tell Thomas that they saw Jesus, Thomas will not believe them until he has seen for himself the wounds in Jesus’ hands and side. When Jesus does appear to the disciples when Thomas is present, Jesus presents His wounds to Thomas and says, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it in my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” And Thomas replies, “My Lord and my God!”

What has struck me in my reflections on this has not been the doubt of Thomas. What has hit me is that touching Jesus’ wounds, not seeing His glory, convinced Thomas that the figure he was seeing was real. Which has led me to wonder: If we allowed ourselves to “touch” the wounds of others, maybe they would become “real” human beings to us. Maybe we wouldn’t be so ready to see them as an invading horde, or in another context, objects meant to satisfy our desires, or simply evil because they are not like us. Maybe we could even see them as beloved children of God.

What do I mean by “touching” people’s wounds? Of course I don’t mean that we physically touch the scars that people may have. What I mean is that we take the time to listen to people’s stories, and recognize that we’ve all been wounded at one time or another, and that we all need healing. In our second reading from Revelation (1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19), the author writes: “I, John, your brother, who share with you the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance we have in Jesus …” Even if we do not share faith in Jesus, we can acknowledge that we do share distress and endurance in life.

Could our woundedness, then, be a bond that can bring us together? That would be an Easter hope for me. Or is division our only choice? You may be thinking, “Fr. Phil, there are evil people in the world, who have done evil things.” Yes, that’s true, but I’m not sure it applies to most people. And even though there may be people who do evil, even they are incapable of making God stop loving them.

By touching Jesus’ wounds, Thomas was healed of his doubt and his grief. If we are willing to hear or see or somehow “touch” the wounds of others, and let others “touch” our wounds, maybe some greatly needed healing can occur. May the Risen Christ, by the mercy of God, give us the strength and the hope to be wounded healers for our hurting world.

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan.