Daily Scripture

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

Today’s readings are fundamental to our understanding of salvation history in that they make a direct connection between Abraham and Jesus.  Abraham is the first person with whom God established an everlasting covenantal relationship.

In the Genesis reading, God changes Abram’s name to Abraham, a sign of his new covenantal identity and mission, just as Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah.  Abraham means “father of a multitude,” the father of many nations.  He and Sarah would become the ancestors of both the Hebrew people and us.  Through this covenant, God sought to bring all nations to himself.

In the Gospel of John, the people ridicule Jesus’ assertion that he had seen Abraham, when he declared that, “…before Abraham came to be, I AM.”  Jesus was directly demonstrating his relationship to the Father as the incarnate Son of God and his mission.  There was no allegory, or symbolism, but a bold assertion of the identity of Jesus.

This covenant, this promise, between God and humanity began with Abraham and Sarah, and found its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.  It is a promise to which we cling: We will never see death.  In a few short days, we will celebrate this dramatic sweep of salvation history, which culminated in an empty tomb, and the resurrection of I AM.

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

Growing up, I was taught to be terrified of God, as if God was rooting for me to err so He could pounce. Thankfully, in my teens, influential people led me on a different path. They showed me scripture passages describing God as a merciful parent, full of compassion, forgiving, faithful, and inclusive. They especially showed me Jesus, who not only welcomed the poor and sinners but ate with them, defended them, and identified more with them than with religious leaders of his day.

Are both views of God in the Bible? Certainly. But we need to look at the Bible through the lens of Jesus, who tirelessly tried to correct our flawed images. What view of God did Jesus teach? And how did Jesus, the incarnate God, live his life in reflection of his knowledge?

Sometimes I despair because the Gospel message seems lost. Increasing numbers of angry but self-righteous people spewing hate in God’s name. They judge anyone who looks, acts, or worships differently as inferior and undesirable. They call other people animals or label them in ways not justified by facts. To these, Jesus says, “…you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you.”Bottom of Form

Admittedly, there are no easy answers to the world’s dilemmas – trade, immigration, war, foreign relations, climate change, economic inequality, racism, and other issues. But today, standing up for the Gospel of Jesus often risks the fate of Jesus – persecution, betrayal, death threats, and perhaps even death itself.

Instead, Jesus calls us to civil discourse without name-calling or sound-bite labels. He teaches compassion for the poor and disenfranchised who, despite popular rhetoric, cannot improve their position by working harder. He demands care for families desperately fleeing violence and persecution. He calls for societal reforms to combat racism, and a budget that reflects moral concerns rather than power and wealth.

Jesus challenges us to ask who our God is, and whether his Word has a home in us. His voice joins martyrs whose sacrifice calls out from beyond the grave to ask what we, in this day and age, are willing to risk in order to live out the vision of God we believe in. I hope and pray that by the way I live my life, by my words and actions, I may be counted among the faithful followers of Jesus Christ and the God of love he proclaimed. I pray that God’s word not only has room in me, but takes root and produces fruit.

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:

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

Reflection:

Sometime We Must Turn Away From The Light

John’s gospel takes place in Jerusalem during the feast of Tabernacles. The rituals of this feast use water and light. But there is also a ritual where the priests gather outside the east gate of the Temple area and gaze away from the Temple toward the east. At the moment of sunrise they turn their backs on the sun, face the sanctuary of the Temple and recite a prayer recognizing the God of Israel as the one true God to whom all praise and allegiance are due, “Our fathers when they were in this place turned their backs toward the Temple and their Faces toward the east…as for us, our eyes are turned toward the Lord”.

What a simple, beautiful statement of praise and fidelity.

In Yesterday’s gospel a woman stands before Jesus with her head bowed down. “Should we stone her to death for her sin?”, they ask him. But when her accusers drift away one by one, she is alone and looks at Jesus while he talks to her.

When the poisonous serpents bit the people, killing many, the remedy was to look upon a bronze serpent raised up high for all to see. Those who did this, even if bitten, recovered.

The Pharisees, unlike the temple priests, the woman from the previous gospel or those bitten by the serpents in the desert, do not see. They turn their back to the light of the world, the source of living water and the one sent from the Father.

Soon the Elect will see themselves in a new way as priest, prophet, king or queen and other Christs when they come out of the waters of Baptism. The rest of us will renew our vows of Baptism and once more break the crest of the last hill of our Lenten desert and behold the land flowing with milk and honey.

It is true that the brighter the light the greater the shadow. We see the light but we become blinded to other things, things that are most important. We might consider today’s Pharisees as victims of some sort of light blindness. Let us take our lesson not from them but from the temple priests who turn their backs on the light of the rising sun to look at what cannot be seen in the Sanctuary. Let us look to the Lord who may be concealed, disguised, or not look at all brilliant.

With simple praise and fidelity let us offer prayer that all may see the light of Christ especially when blinded by other values. Let us stand with those in darkest night  to help them wait for the coming light.

Fr. William Murphy, CP is the pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Jamaica, New York.

Scripture:

Isaiah 43:16-21
Philippians 3:8-14
John 8:1-11

Reflection:

The article on the front page of The Blaze, the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach (AGLO) Sunday Bulletin went on to describe how the Bemba, an indigenous people living in Zambia, Africa in small groups of 50 to 150 members, deal with someone who has done something wrong. They stop all they are doing, gather together and place the offender in the middle of a circle and one by one they begin to tell the offender everything good they know about him or her. They continue this ritual until everyone in the village has had a turn. Then they celebrate, welcoming him or her back into the community.

What a contrast to our present-day society where we seem intent on pursuing every wrong committed by everyone, and making sure the offender is prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law.

I wonder if the Bemba ever heard of Jesus? If they did or didn’t, they sure live the teachings in today’s gospel selection. You know the story. The teachers (Scribes and Pharisees) bring a woman to Jesus and present the problem: “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.” (JN 8:4) YIKES! Adultery! Couldn’t John have picked some not so serious sin? Anyway, I’ve read that the Hebrew word for adultery could mean a whole host of sins including idolatry.  Now, I can relate to that.

I don’t mean to be excusing the woman’s behavior any more than I want to excuse mine.  What I do want to do though is realize that I’m eligible too. Any day that woman could easily be me. I just want to express my gratitude for Jesus who tells the woman after a kind of mysterious exchange between him and her accusers:

“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
(JN 8: 10-11)

Some good advice, don’t you think? I wish I had been that sympathetic with my students when I was teaching.

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

Scripture:

Exodus 32:7-14
John 5:31-47

Reflection:

Mediating God’s Message of Life and Love

Today’s reading from Exodus is truly extraordinary:  Moses humbly stands before an irate God to intercede for the rebellious and ungrateful Israelites.  God was angry!  The Israelites had created and were worshipping a molten calf; God was ready to “disown” the people, and even destroy the “stiff-necked” people.  Moses was called upon to mediate the delicate situation.  Ultimately, God relented in the punishment He had threatened.  Hmnnn…

The Gospel selection presents a similar situation.  Jesus is speaking with the Jewish leaders, trying to help the people get the bigger picture of His Life and Mission – to encourage belief in Him and His mission of enfleshing God’s redemptive love for all people of all time.  Their minds and hearts were closed, they were not listening.  Jesus has strong, direct words with his audience:  “…you do not have the love of God in you.”  And yet He didn’t give up…He continued His journey which led to further teaching and miracles, to suffering and Calvary – and ultimately Easter.  Yes!!

Lent is a time for us to again address our rebellion, our ingratitude, our “worship” of power / money / prestige / technology – our lack of fidelity as members of God’s family.  In today’s readings, with great feeling both Moses and Jesus address us and challenge us to wake up, to turn away from selfishness and sin, to believe and to love selflessly.  Both Moses and Jesus don’t give up on their people – and us!

As we move into the “2^nd half” of our 2019 Lenten journeys, may we continue to further open our hearts to the transforming, enriching, salvific love offered us in Jesus’ Life, His Passion and Death, His Rising to Life.  As the Entrance Antiphon for today’s Eucharist states (from Psalm 105):  “Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek God’s face.”

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

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:8-15
John 5:17-30

Reflection:

“Yahweh is tenderness and pity, slow to anger, full of faithful love. ⁹ He is generous to all, his tenderness embraces all his creatures; trustworthy in all his words, and upright in all his
deeds.¹⁴ Yahweh supports all who stumble, lifts up those who are bowed down. ¹⁷ Upright in all that he does, He acts only in faithful love. ¹⁸ He is close to all who call upon him, all who call on him from the heart.” Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18

If we ever wonder if God loves us, we only need to read these words! But if we question God’s love, maybe it’s because they are only words to us… We need to go beyond the words to an experience of God’s love. We need to believe these words are true and ask God to show us they are real. When our kids were growing up, I remember encouraging them to question all that we told them about God. I told them they could ask God to reveal Himself to them so that they would know He was real. I told them they couldn’t’ get to heaven on my faith, that they needed to make it their own. So, how can we open ourselves up to His Presence?

There are many ways to do this. We can experience God in the sacraments. Since they are “outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace,” we can receive a touch from God. We can look for God in scripture. As we read, we can invite the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and help us grow in our understanding of who God is for us. We can surrender our lives to the working of the Holy Spirit and let Him take over. He will correct us and remind us of all Jesus said when he was on earth. He will comfort us and guide us and teach us. We all need the Holy Spirit!

There are a set of YouTube videos called “The Wild Goose” that discuss this very topic and are well worth the time to watch them. (Go to youtube.com and search for The Wild Goose.) Come Holy Spirit! May we all ask for more of the Holy Spirit every day so that we will know for sure the depth and height and breadth of God’s incredible love for each of us. “Can a woman forget her baby at the breast, feel no pity for the child she has borne? Even if these were to forget, I shall not forget you.” Is 49:15

God is for us, He is behind us and before us. He loves us with an everlasting love, and will never leave us or forsake us. May we throw ourselves every day into the arms of the God who loves more than we can ever ask or imagine! His promises are amazing for all who believe in Him: “In all truth I tell you, whoever listens to my words, and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life; without being brought to judgment such a person has passed from death to life.” Jn 5:24 May we walk each day in His love knowing our future is secure in His Hands.

 

Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Bainbridge Island, Washington,  and partner 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/ or email her at [email protected].

Scripture:

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Luke 15:1-3,11-32

Reflection:

I always really liked this reading from Luke, usually referred to as the “Parable of the Prodigal Son.”  There is so much to this, if we take the time to look.  But at it’s most basic, and honestly, now, what sinner (like me) wouldn’t love to hear how, no matter what he did, this guy’s father not only welcomed him home, but threw what must have been the Block Party of the Century!  This is truly beautiful.

But Jesus’ amazingly deep story reveals to me that it’s not this reckless son who is the truly prodigal one.

If we take a look at the word, we’ll find that the word prodigal is defined as a person who spends resources in a wastefully extravagant way.  The Latin root is prodigus, which means lavish.  And if we take a moment to truly look at the story, we’ll find the father in this parable giving freely to his son not only his money, or his food, but his unending love and care. “While he was still a long way off, he caught sight of him and was moved with compassion.” (Lk 15:20)  This parent squandered the fortune of himself as he, lavishly, wastefully, and extravagantly, would let his love flow out like a flood washing over his son, a sinner.

The truly “prodigal” one is not the son…  it’s the Father, and that image of God, for me, is so beautiful.

But wait… There’s even more:  The older son is upset!  He doesn’t understand why the father is so forgiving of his evil little brother.  Wow, I can identify with that.  Why be so lenient?  The younger brother got exactly what he asked for and, not respecting it, thoughtlessly squandered it all.  How incredibly silly of him!

But, again, it’s the Father’s response which hits me like a ton of bricks – “Everything I have is yours.”  He, without reservation, still gives and loves and supports, no matter what.

No matter what.

If I look in the mirror, I wonder which of these three I identify with most.  Could it be the wasteful son?  Sometimes, yes.  Or the older son, who is faithful and serving always?  Hopefully a little more often than the other, yes, but still – sometimes.  And perhaps it could even be the Father, loving so deeply that he would unreservedly and with reckless abandon give every little bit of himself to those he loves?  Yes – I’ve felt that sometimes (although if I’m going to be completely honest, I’m ashamed to say it’s been way rarer than either of the other two).

This leaves me with some questions I really don’t want to contemplate or have to answer…

How have I been wasteful and negligent with the gifts I’ve been given?

How many times have I squandered not love, but hate – or turned my back on someone that hurt me?

How easily do I forgive?

Do I even give at all?

Prodigal God, thank you for squandering your most amazing love on us, no matter what.
Please grant us the grace to be the Prodigal one – let me run to, greet, embrace, and throw my forgiveness and love over everyone, as we start on the road home to You, together. Amen.

Paul Puccinelli is Director of Liturgy & Music at St. Rita Parish in Sierra Madre, CA, and a member of the Retreat-Team at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center.