Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Luke 10:17-24

Reflection:

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus demands a lot from his followers. Stripped from our wealth, privilege, and personal relationships he wants us totally dependent on God.

Prior to this passage Jesus sends six dozen followers, as sheep among wolves, to spread out, without a wallet, suitcase or even sandals, with his message of the new reign of God.

In this section they return thrilled with witnessing evil defeated.

In their excited conversation Jesus tells them what he too has experienced: “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.”

Wow!

I wonder how often I am stunned at the power of God over evil.

In these days of chaos in families, communities and nations, Satan seems in charge. The opioid crisis leaves orphans in its wake. Racism and gun violence rip neighborhoods and hearts asunder. The nuclear arms race, terrorism, famine, trade wars and extreme nationalism raise serious tensions around our globe. And in our Church the scandal of sexual abuse of minors is enough to unleash primitive anger from the depths of each of our souls.

In this swirl of evil, where Satan seems to have the upper hand and the pillars of our lives appear to crack and crumble, where is our faith?

Jesus tells us to get ourselves out there into the mess. Announce the reign of God. Be totally dependent on Him. Confront evil in all its forms. Have enough faith to act, even when you are afraid and unsure of yourself.

This conversation happens on Jesus determined trip to Jerusalem, where he will stand up to the powers of the Roman Empire and the Temple. He is fearless. He is totally dependent on his Father to compete the mission.

It is our mission too. He did it and he expects us to do it too. With faith just as strong as his.

“Turning to his disciples in private he said: ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.  For I say to you, many prophets and kings desire to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.’”

That is strong assurance for a wobbly disciple like me. I pray to be stunned by the power of God just like that six dozen of long ago.

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:

Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5
Luke 10:13-16

Reflection:

If you have been following the Old Testament readings of the day throughout this week you have been on a fast excursion through the story of Job.  This great drama is unlike any other book of the bible.  Job is a man of exemplary character and unwavering devotion who is stricken with misfortune, disease and disaster.  Job, having lost every consolation of life, wrestles to understand his own destitution.  He doesn’t buy into reward and punishment theory, but can find no answers to such evil in his life even when his friends and wife are against him.  In distress he calls out over and over to God.

If this has been unfamiliar to you, I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with the earlier part of Job’s drama.  Job searches and questions for some type of understanding.  He calls out to the Divine, who is so patient.  Finally, in this 38^th chapter God responds in a lengthy outpouring of questions which just spectacularly put Job back in his place.

Where were you when I founded the earth?  Tell me, if you have understanding.   Who determined its size; do you know? Who stretched out the measuring line for it?   Into what were its pedestals sunk, and who laid the cornerstone?

• Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place?
• Do you know how the clouds are banked, the wondrous work of him who is perfect in knowledge?
• Tell me, if you know all: which is the way to the dwelling place of light?  And where is the abode of darkness?
• Have you entered the storehouse of the snow and have you seen the treasury of the hail?
• Can you raise your voice among the clouds, or veil yourself in the waters of the storm?

These are all statements beyond human ability.  They put all of us back in our place when as people we begin demanding that we should know God’s mind.  For many of us, it is so difficult to learn a basic lesson; it simply isn’t your place to know and understand the mysteries of the mind of God.   And what is transformative is the invitation God gives us.   Don’t keep trying to figure out God’s mind.  Rather, spend your time rejoicing in the heart of God.

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Louisville, Kentucky.

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

Scripture:

Job 19:21-27
Luke 10:1-12

Reflection:

“The Kingdom of God is at Hand!”

Today’s Gospel selection recalls the sending of the 72 disciples, in pairs, to every town and place Jesus intended to visit.  His instructions were clear:  go, as lambs among wolves; pack lightly, take nothing extra; greet no one along the way; proclaim God’s peace, cure the sick, announce the Kingdom of God.  The disciples did as instructed; the Kingdom was proclaimed; lives were changed – and we today, worlds away from those early disciples, are blessed with our Christian faith.

That same call of God has been shared with many other great men and women – with “heavenly” results!  The month of October celebrates the lives of many founders of religious communities; today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi…patron of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and thousands of men and women who seek to enflesh the charism and ministry of St. Francis of Assisi.

Today’s Gospel passage about the sending of the 72 disciples came alive for Francis of Assisi.  His carefree youth was radically changed by the call of Jesus; he renounced his personal possessions and changed his life to one of evangelical poverty and preaching.  Francis’ life witness was truly charismatic, compassionate, and loving of all God’s creation…so much so that God called others to join him in community.  Francis compiled a “rule of life” and established many religious communities of men and women.  In the 44 short years of his life, he sparked a spiritual renewal that continues to inspire men and women of all ages and walks of life, in all parts of the world.

Have we heard the call?  No doubt, Jesus and St. Francis spoke to the heart of the Founder of the Passionists, St. Paul of the Cross, and today we Passionists are grateful for our charism that is rooted in the love of Jesus Crucified and ministry to the “least, the last, the lost”.  Jesus speaks to each of us today as our world deals with a variety of challenging issues:  violence, mistrust, abuse, the environment, a lack of good leadership, a “ho-hum” attitude about life, selfishness, etc.  Jesus and Francis and Paul of the Cross challenge us to look deeply into our hearts and respond as people of faith and courage and service.

Let’s pray that, with St. Francis’ example, we all may help renew the Church in our day and age, especially with the generous involvement of young people as the XV Ordinary General Synod of Bishops takes place in Rome, focused on “Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment”.  The Kingdom of God is at hand

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

Scripture:

Job 9:1-12, 14-16
Luke 9:57-62

Reflection:

“He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the seas. He made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south; He does great things past finding out, marvelous things beyond reckoning.” Job 9: 8-10

Job is reminding us of God’s greatness and that there is so much that we don’t know or understand. We are such tiny things in the scheme of the whole universe! God can walk along the waves in the ocean; He flung the stars across the sky; He created the infinitely beautiful creatures in our world, and holds it all together so that we don’t fly off into space as the earth turns. And He does even greater things that are way beyond our “finding out.”

I love the stars and constellations and was shocked the first time I got to see the night sky at 7,000 feet elevation. I felt like I could reach out and touch them! Job 9:9 mentions one of my favorites – the Pleiades. The Pleiades are seven stars that are in a small tight cluster that looks very much like a tiny dipper. The best way to see this constellation though is to look away from it.

That can work when we don’t understand a situation here on earth too. Maybe we are staring too hard at the problem. We need a little space, or we need to get a different perspective. We need to look away and look to God; surrender whatever it is – to really let go and wait on Him. To sit still and ask if we need to do anything differently, or just wait and trust.

We can’t always see the stars, especially up here in the great Northwest. If you can’t see the night sky where you live, go to a planetarium or look at images from the Hubble telescope on your computer and be dazzled! But even when we can’t see the stars, they are always there. And even when we can’t see God at work in our lives, He too is always there. Always. He made us little less than the angels and even though we are so tiny, we are His crowning creation and He loves us and cares for us beyond our imaginings. You can stake your life on it… and your afterlife!

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].

Memorial of the Guardian Angels

Scripture:

Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23
Matthew 18:1-5, 10

Reflection:

It happened that as I was preparing some thoughts for this reflection on the memorial of the Guardian Angels, I was sitting at a supper table with some friends. I asked them what meaning this memorial might have for them.

The conversation turned around how one first learns of “Guardian Angels” in one’s childhood, and very naturally Guardian Angels are seen as protectors from the dangers of childhood, often portrayed as a rural childhood—raging rivers, roaming animals, and finding one’s way through a darkened forest.

The imagery which depicted the role of the Guardian Angels was very uniform in children’s prayer books, catechisms and storybooks. It also was a familiar design in the stained glass windows of the churches built by many of the immigrant Catholics who came to the United States in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Not surprisingly, as children grew into adulthood, the awareness of having a Guardian Angel seemed to diminish, and this was the general opinion of those at table with me. It seemed natural enough that as one grew to independence and maturity, one would look after oneself without the need for a spiritual companion to pluck one from the dangers that one might encounter.

Instead of conceding that angels were of little consequence for us as adults, the conversation turned to the way that our deceased family members or persons with whom we have shared strong bonds in life, continue to influence our adult lives as members of Christ’s body, as members of the mystical body of Christ. Since the liturgy of this memorial refers to the three traditional roles of the angels (to praise God, to be God’s messengers, and to offer protection), it seems a natural and a supernatural reality to consider our parents, our closest friends, and our own saintly patrons, who have all gone before us, to serve as our guides and intercessors before God.

St. Therese of Lisieux, who wrote passionately about her relationship with her Guardian Angel, and about the role of angels in the life of the faithful, also saw in her approaching death, the transition to an angelic life of service. It would be a heaven…spent on earth until the end of the world.

“I feel that I am about to enter into my rest. But I feel especially that my mission is about to begin, my mission of making God loved as I love Him, of giving my little way to souls. If God answers my desires, my heaven will be spent on earth until the end of the world. Yes, I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth. This isn’t impossible, since from the bosom of the beatific vision the Angels watch over us.” (CJ 7/17/1897).

Today is a good day to thank God for the angels who have been a part of our lives, both when we were very young, and who have been added to our retinue of saints and angels since our maturity. May we always give thanks to God for our being able to be inspired, guided and prayed for by our angel-spirits who lead us to God and our heavenly rest.

Fr. Arthur Carrillo, C.P.  is the director of the Missions for Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Citrus Heights, California. 

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus

Scripture:

Job 1:6-22
Luke 9:46-50

Reflection:

Today the Church celebrates a beloved saint, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as the “Little Flower.”  Her life and fame are full of ironies.  She lived in the provincial town of Lisieux in the Normandy region of France and except for participating in a diocesan pilgrimage to Rome and other sites in Italy, never left her hometown.  She became a cloistered Carmelite sister at the age of 15, joining her two older sisters in the same local convent.  She died of tuberculosis in 1897 at the age of twenty-four.

Yet for someone whose life seemed destined for obscurity she became one of the most popular saints in the history of the Catholic Church.  Pope Pius X called her the “greatest saint of the modern era.”  She was canonized in 1921 by Pope Pius XI, only twenty-eight years and her popularity spread through the church like wildfire and remains strong—her shrine in Lisieux is the most popular pilgrimage site in France after Lourdes itself.  Although she spent her brief adult life in a cloistered convent, she is the patron of missionaries.  And although her education was home-bound and rudimentary, she has been declared a “Doctor” of the Church.

Thérèse gripped the imagination of the Church precisely because of the paradox of her life.  She espoused what she called “the little way”—placing her entire life in the arms of God, filled with a tender love for Jesus—she dedicated every conscious act of her life as an act of love and devotion to the One who loved her.   She was thoroughly human and thoroughly committed to the gospel. No gesture, no act of enduring annoyance from her fellow sisters, no smile or bearing of suffering—was too little or insignificant to become an act of love.  She was a young woman, living a sheltered life, and having limited experiences, yet possessing a magnificent spirit that reached out to the entire world and incorporated its hopes and concerns in her daily prayer.

In his powerful encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’ (“On Care for Our Common Home”), Pope Francis recognizes the overwhelming ethical and issues posed by human responsibility for the ravages that are now effecting our earth.  He urges people of good will, no matter what their religious convictions may be, to join with believers in addressing these problems.  Some people such as competent scientists and political leaders can have a substantial impact.  Others of us may despair of knowing how we can respond.  Here Pope Francis turns explicitly to the spirituality of the saint we honor today.  “St. Thérèse of Lisieux invites us to practice the little way of love, not to miss out on a kind word, a smile or any small gesture which sows peace and friendship.  An integral ecology is also made up of simply daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness.”

The Pope goes on to say that the mission of the church, through such small gestures, is to build a “civilization of love”—a beautiful phrase that I think Saint Thérèse would eagerly embrace.

Saint Thérèse, pray for us and for our world.

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:

Numbers 11:25-29
James 5:1-6
Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Reflection:

Today’s gospel sounds like a lecture in radical surgery.  “If you hand causes you to sin, cut it off.”  “If your eye causers you to sin, pluck it out.”  Jesus was exaggerating a bit to make a point.  But what was the point?

We can learn a lesson from Olympic athletes. If athletes want to win the gold, they have to be focused.  They can’t let anything distract them.  They have to be disciplined, eat right, sleep right, practice, stay in shape, study techniques, and sacrifice other interests — in other words, lop off anything that gets in the way of going for the gold.

The Lord is telling us today to get focused.  We are not to let anything deter us from seeking the kingdom.  We are not to let anything keep us from loyalty to him.  We are not to let anything lead us into sin.

Is gossip your problem?  Remove it.
Has greed got control of you?  Lop it off.
Does laziness have the best of you?  Get rid of it.
Does prejudice get in your way?  Eliminate it.
Is pornography on your screen?  Delete it.
Is unforgiveness in your heart?  Kick it out.

In the book titled, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, the author cites this principal: “Begin with the end in mind.”  For Jesus the end was always his Father’s will.  Jesus was focused.  All his energy was directed to saying and doing what he Father wanted. For Christians it is the same.  We pray, “Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done.”  We are focused.

Part of the peace that surpasses understanding is knowing where we are going and how to get there.  With Jesus we say,“Behold, I have come to do your will, Oh God” (Hebrews 19:7).

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 Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels

Scripture:  

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
or Revelation 12:7-12
John 1:47-51

Reflection:

Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. ~Daniel 7:10

Depictions of angels can be found in most specialty shops, catalogs and art stores in the forms of small, medium and large statues, pictures, on prayer cards, garden art and numerous other objects. They can be found in stain glass windows and statuary of the great cathedrals of Europe and around the world. We grow up knowing the guardian angel prayer and hope we haven’t frightened ours off by the time we have “grown up”. In the Catholic faith there are the nine choir of angels beginning with the lowest to highest ranking; Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim. In the Church we celebrate the archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael who are mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. Michael’s name means, “Who is like God?” We have a prayer calling on St. Michael for protection. This archangel is best known for his battle with evil, as in the Book of Revelation. Gabriel is known as the messenger angel who announced to Mary that she was going to bear God’s Son. Gabriel’s name means, “God is My Strength” and is known as the Archangel of Wisdom, Revelation, Prophecy, and Visions. Raphael’s name means, “Healing Power of God”. We find this Archangel in the book of Tobit. He was sent in an answer to Tobit’s prayers and the prayers of his daughter. In this book of the Old Testament, Raphael is companion, guide, and heals Tobit of his blindness.

In today’s Gospel reading from John, Nathanael has come to see if what Philip said of Jesus is true. He discovers that Jesus knows exactly who he is and so he proclaims that Jesus is the “Son of God”. Jesus’ response is a reflection of Jacob’s ladder with, “you will see the heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”. He also seems to be foretelling what will transpire at his Resurrection.

Angels are spiritual beings who assist God with those tasks on earth and in heaven. In the readings today we read that, “Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him.”(Dn 7:9 – 10) What a sight that must be! All of those spiritual beings tending to God and doing what God commands. As I picture it in my mind’s eye it seems as if Heaven is a very busy place. During the Triduum I have pondered what the angels were doing as Christ went through his Passion, death and Resurrection. I can imagine Michael standing ready with an army of angels, waiting for God’s command. Gabriel watching with great sadness and Raphael wanting to heal broken hearts. And then great joy with Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension. And most likely they too understood the plan that God had in mind and tended to Christ on the day of Resurrection and the Ascension.

Today is a good day to reflect on these Archangels. Read and reflect on your favorite Archangel story and see where God leads you.

Linda Schork is a theology teacher at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky.