Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Philippians 2:12-18
Luke 14:25-33

Reflection:

…In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33

I have a love/hate relationship with change. Recently I brought my lifetime guaranteed winter coat in for repairs. The woman I gave it to at the store looked at it pitifully and said: “This coat has really been loved. I don’t think we can repair it but we can replace it.” She showed me a new version of my coat. Hesitantly, I tried the latest model on and told her it didn’t feel at all like my coat. She looked at me sympathetically and assured me it was better. Having no other options, I took the new version. I have yet to wear that coat, but I’m sure I won’t like it as much as my ten-year-old model, at least at first. I don’t like change.

In the early ‘90’s, at the urging of my good friend Fr. Rian Clancy, C.P, and after months, actually years of prayer and meditation, I cautiously moved into the city. I had been living on the fringes of the city in an area where I grew up. The final impetus for that life-changing move was the demise of my ten-year-old car. It died once again, only this time in the middle of an intersection. I had to let it go, but as you might imagine, I had gotten pretty attached to my car.  I called a friend in the junk business and asked him to pick it up, and told him he could do whatever he wanted with it. I was through with it.

While the verdict is still out on my winter coat, that not so simple act of letting go of my car almost thirty years ago, led to a revolution in my life. I moved into the city. I quit my job in the insurance business where I had been working for sixteen years and returned to teaching, a job I truly loved. I reduced my carbon footprint and started saving tons of money. I quickly learned to love my new home, job and life. It, as Clancy had been suggesting all along, was where I belonged.

Now, I have a long way before I can claim to be following Jesus’ call in today’s scripture selection, to renounce all my possessions, but I’ve heard it said the trip of a thousand miles begins with the first step. I hope and pray today that I am on the right way. If happiness is any measure, then truly I am.

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

Scripture:

Philippians 2:5-11
Luke 14:15-24

Reflection:

I’m pretty good at finding excuses when given a choice between something fun and something that requires work, even when I know the payoff for the work is greater than the payoff for a momentary amusement.

Time for prayer or a reflection on Scripture at the same time a tempting movie is available on Netflix?

Time for my annual retreat when a great concert is in town that weekend?

Time for Sunday liturgy when I am out of town for a weekend of fun with friends?

Our culture, especially as we develop more and more ways of entertaining ourselves with electronics, is filled with distractions, sports, performing arts and excitement of all kinds.

We are highly developed in our consuming habits as well. Some seek comfort with the purchase of the latest in fashion, cars, trips and gathering new toys for our garages, entertainment centers and kitchens.

In today’s Gospel Jesus invites us to go deeper. A lot deeper. He wants us to recognize a reverse society. The poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame and street people…the fringe and the rejects…are to make up the crowd around the table at God’s banquet.

If I am too distracted by the world’s tinsel and glitter, I’ll miss what’s really important. I’ll feel self-sufficient and in control, the opposite feeling of the weak and vulnerable They can’t do for themselves and have little or no control. Yet, these are the one’s God assures will dine with him at the banquet.

To experience the joy of eating and drinking with the Lord at the Lord’s table, Jesus makes clear, we must set aside all that distracts us and feel the absolute dependence on God in every aspect of our brief lives.

Then we will savor every morsel at the Lord’s banquet.

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:

Philippians 2:1-4
Luke 14:12-14

Reflection:

Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves…  ~Philippians 2:3-4

Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind…  Luke 14:12-13

Why do we find it so difficult to accept and live the simple message of Jesus Christ, the son of God? If indeed we believe that he is God incarnate, shouldn’t we hold all of his instructions in the highest regard? Shouldn’t our days be filled with caring for others?

It is part of our human (you could say fallen) nature to disregard others. By default we believe WE are the center of the universe. We go about our days trying to avoid perceived threats and embarrassments. A close study of human behavior and even modern brain science shows this to be true. We forget that we are enjoined by our God to think of others before ourselves. At least for myself, I find that is only through prayer and meditation that I am even able to begin to approach holding my neighbor as a beloved child of God.

And, when I am able to truly see others as my brothers and sisters in Christ, it radically changes the way I approach my interactions with them.

It is said that we judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions. When I look at another as a child of God I begin to question my own judgment. I’m open to the possibility that they may also be working out of their best intentions and I simply misunderstand them. I find myself open to dialogue with them, to maintaining a relationship of understanding.

My prayer for today is that I see others through the eyes of Christ.

Talib Huff is a lay member of the retreat team at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights. He may be reached at [email protected].

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 12:28-34

Reflection:

All-Inclusive Love

Today’s Gospel selection recalls question put to Jesus by the scribe:  “Which is the first of all the commandments?”  The scribe knew the many regulations of the Old Testament…some 613 distinct commandments!  Most likely the scribe was sincere in asking about the first, the greatest.

Jesus didn’t hesitate as he quoted the Book of Deuteronomy:  “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength”…and He took things one step further with a quote from the Book of Leviticus:  “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus rolls all the commandments into one commandment:  love God totally, who is likewise present in ourselves and our neighbors…God present in all creation.

One serious “catch” in the statements of Jesus and Deuteronomy:  the tiny three letter word “all”…all your heart and soul and mind and strength.  This implies “totality”, giving ourselves totally to God, with nothing left out, no holding back.  In our humanness, we can easily dream of holding back, of loving God “out there” in a general way with minimal life consequences.  We human beings…at times good and gracious, and at other times belligerent, lazy, offensive, selfish!

Today’s Scriptures challenge us to take Jesus’ words to heart, to love and not hold back in any way…to love everyone…God, neighbors, self.  Truly a Gospel challenge with far-reaching consequences for ourselves, our families, our Church, and our world.  And…we can do it!  Jesus is our Way, our Truth, and our Life.  Each day, we’re invited to open our hearts and lives to Him and respond with lives of love.

As we faithfully try to live each day, may Jesus look at us as He looked at the scribe, and encourage us as well:  “…you are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

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

Scripture:

Philippians 1:18b-26
Luke 14:1, 7-11

Reflection:

For to me life is Christ, and death is gain… I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. ~Philippians 1:21, 23

I don’t know about you, but sometimes my prayer is “Beam me up Lord!” Some days I just want to go home and be done here. It’s usually when I’m sick or tired, or tired of fighting off negative thoughts that seem to overwhelm me somedays.

I think I’m afraid of getting old. The call of heaven gets stronger and stronger as I experience the inevitable signs of aging. Already I have some arthritis-like pain in one of my hands, my hearing is definitely getting worse, and I question whether I’ll be able to take care of Jim if anything happens to him. My brother has dementia at only 66 years old, and I’m praying we don’t have to go through that!

It can be tempting to say “Well, I’ve done enough. We raised 4 kids who are now 4 awesome adults, I’ve written two books, recorded 3 CDs of music, had a nice run as a retreat leader, and enjoyed all of the ministries I’ve been involved in for so many years.  It’s time to kick back, quit worrying about trying to lose weight, do nothing and enjoy the quiet. (And the not-so-quiet when my grandkids come over.)

My prayer however, is that I won’t do that! My prayer is that I will get up each day, thankful for another one, and try to learn something new; that I will continue to use the gifts God has given me to bless others; and that I will get out of my rocking chair and explore the beauty of the world around me.

Yes I look forward one day to meeting the Lord face to face and to begin exploring heaven with those who have gone before me. But until then, I want to keep living life the best I can, giving all I can, loving my family and all those the Lord brings into my life and cherishing whatever time I have left here. Please pray for me, and I will pray for you!

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].

Feast of All Saints

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

A remarkable feature of earliest Christianity is how the various communities of Christians spread throughout the Mediterranean world kept in touch with each other. Historians tell us that because of the network of Roman roads that developed in the first century, travel became much more widespread.  The roads were built mainly for military purposes, but ordinary people traveled on them because it made journeys easier and safer.

The early fathers of the Church considered the umbrella of the Roman Empire a stroke of Providence because it helped spread the gospel, even though the Empire would also become a source of persecution for Christians.  Thus, Paul and many other early Christian missionaries took to the road to proclaim the gospel and create new Christian communities.  And Paul and other leaders such as Peter and other anonymous authors would use that same network of roads to send letters of encouragement and instruction to far-flung communities of Christians.

But underlying—and inspiring—this amazing network of communication was something deeper—the reality we celebrate today on the feast of “All Saints.” The Christians believed that they shared a deep bond with each other, even though separated by distance and language and culture. Paul would urge his Christians in Corinth to think of themselves as “one Body in Christ” or as a harmony of many gifts but “united in One Spirit.”  A favorite designation Paul used in referring to his fellow Christians in the communities he wrote to was that of “the saints” or “the holy ones.”  Christians were “holy” not simply because they led exemplary lives but because they were united in faith and part of the Body of Christ.

That sense of being profoundly united as Christians is expressed in the eloquent words of Ephesians: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” (Eph 4:4-6). This the underlying motivation for this feast of “All Saints.”  So strong is the bond that ties us together is that it extends not only to Christians living now in various parts of the world but even to those who have gone before us in death.  They, too, are the “holy ones”—the “saints.”  Not just the famous saints like Augustine and Theresa and Paul of the Cross, but all the everyday saints who have been part of our lives—our parents, our siblings, our dearest friends whose deaths we mourn but not without hope.  These form the “great multitude which no one could count”” referred to in today’s reading from the Book of Revelation.

We trust that the bond of life that God has given to us—and enhanced by our baptism and Christian faith—will transcend death and enable us to hope in a future where we will be united with all those we love—with all the saints.

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.