Daily Scripture

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 8:1b-7, 11-13
Luke 6:27-38

Reflection:

“To you who hear I say, ‘love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (v.27)

Do you think it is a function of us not really hearing? What if we embraced Jesus’ words, totally? What if we all decided to live out our lives this way? What would our world look like? If we took a bad deed done to us and transformed it into blessing? What if at some point in our history, humanity agreed to live this way? Do you think we would still have days when our enemies would plot to attack us like 9/11? Maybe we’re praying the wrong prayer or in the wrong way?

Are we still operating out of a notion of “an eye for an eye” sense of fairness? So, we retaliate back, and we are attacked again and so we lose sight of where it all began or where we lost our way. This kind of pattern is repeated over and over in hearts, families, and nations. Might Jesus be asking for someone to hear, to listen, and to break the cycle? Can we swallow our pride enough to ask forgiveness even if our sense of fairness is challenged?

…..for the Most High is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked (v.35c). Here, Luke doesn’t say the “good and the bad.” It is always easier to be kind to a good person—that is not really challenging, is it? Although it certainly makes us feel good, it doesn’t take us from where we are and push us beyond our limits or understanding. Our kindness is challenged often in our daily lives by events and people around us. Yet, it is still our invitation to be day by day transformed into Christ—as St. Paul suggests.

Kindness is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We are all familiar with the saying, “kindness begins at home”; absolutely it begins at home in my heart, where God resides. If we manage to begin with kindness to ourselves, how might that touch our world, our culture our societies? Often, we are unaware of how unkind we are to ourselves. In fact, it is a challenge! There is no doubt in my mind that evil exists in our world, but it begins in my heart, in the silence, in the shadows, and remains largely unnoticed. And it is always a choice—our choice—my choice—your choice to live kindness every moment. No exceptions.

Did you ever enter a room and feel the tension there? As if an argument had just taken place or some kind of emotional upheaval had transpired. We can often feel that tension. Imagine what our atmosphere would hold if kindness were our posture? Let us be discouraged or divided no more! Let Mercy reign. We can change our own world.

St. Paul suggests just such awareness in our first reading, by asking the “strong” among the group to be mindful of those who may be influenced by our behavior. I am my brother’s gospel, let me bring God’s heart to all.

“Probe me, o god, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
And lead me in the way of old” Psalm 139:23-24

Jean Bowler is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California, and a member of the Office of Mission Effectiveness Board of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Luke 6:12-19

Reflection:

So often in our lives, we are eager to go into action, roll up our sleeves, and get to work.  There much to be done, and I’m the one to do it.  But when it doesn’t quite work out, when we feel overwhelmed by a tidal way of too much work, we go to others and plead for help from others.   And when they fail to come through, or at least not to our satisfaction, only then we begin praying, “Lord, there is no one here to help me.  What am I going to do?”

But the order that Jesus teaches us in today’s gospel is the reverse.  In an extended reflection titled “Moving from Solitude to Community to Ministry,” theologian Henri Nouwen insightfully finds three movements of the spiritual life that emerge out of today’s gospel, three movements by which we make room for God in our lives.

It begins by spending time with God in solitude.  Only then do we move into community with those with whom we are sharing the mission of the Good News of Jesus Christ.  And finally,  we are prepared to go out together in ministry to heal and proclaim the Good News.  Another way of describing these three movements is Communion with God, Community with those in shared mission, and Commission to minister and serve others.

This is the spiritual life that Jesus lived:

Solitude/Communion with God: “Now it happened in those days that Jesus went onto the mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God.”

Fellowship/Community: “When day came, he summoned his disciples…and called them apostles.”

Ministry/Commission: “He then came down with them…There was a large crowd of people…who had come to hear him and be cured of their diseases.  Everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.”

Jesus models for us the necessity of time with God.  Without solitude it is difficult to live a spiritual life.  Solitude centers us in our own hearts.  It enables us to be rooted in intimacy with the source of all life – God.

Communion with God creates and builds community.  Only when we realize we are created in the image and likeness of God, the Imago Dei, only when we see God’s image in ourselves are we able to see God in the other.  Nouwen tells us that solitude always calls us to community because through solitude we recognize that we are not alone, frantically trying to do it all, but part of the human family, called to live, support, and serve in a communal way.

And this community, grounded in the Imago Dei, always leads to ministry.  The foundation of our being, who we truly are, always comes before the doing.  The outward movement flows from that which is in us.  We are called to mission, not so much by what we do, but by who we are – daughters and sons of God, created in God’s image and likeness.  How else to understand those final words of today’s gospel: “Everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.”  Clearly, power came out of Jesus by virtue of who he was, the Son of God, not so much by what he did.

Nouwen brings Luke’s gospel home to us.  He writes:

“Solitude, community, ministry – these disciplines help us live a fruitful life.  Remain in Jesus; he remains in you.  You will bear many fruits, and you will have great joy, and your joy will be complete.”

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 5:1-8
Luke 6:6-11

Reflection:

Paul and Jesus both teach that actions have consequences, and our conduct makes a difference beyond ourselves. Paul, for instance, disparages those in Corinth who boast of their sexual immorality. He urges them to throw out that “old yeast” before it spreads throughout the dough, and start anew by living in a way that creates the leaven of justice and truth instead.

An illustration: In early grade school, I walked home with a classmate. She wanted a lollipop, so we stopped in the corner store. At the display, she took one, put it back, then took another and put it back. Then she took one and snuck it into her backpack, before taking another and putting it back. I was aghast. She told me to do the same thing, saying it was easy and the store would never miss it. When I hesitated, she hissed at me, “What are you waiting for? They’ll get suspicious if we stand here too long. TAKE ONE!” I did.

I no longer remember who discovered the deed and told my parents, but I will always remember that they marched me down to the store to apologize to the store owner and pay twice what the lollipop was worth. When we got home, I also had to apologize to my younger siblings for whom I had set such a horrible example. In other words, my wrong actions were not just about me; they had negative effect on my town and my family. Our private and public actions matter.

Yet even in light of this principle, Scripture tells us that strictly following the letter of the law may not always be appropriate or truly Christian. Illustration: The powerful legal enforcers of Jesus’ day closely watched to see whether he would break the law by healing a man on the Sabbath. Instead of citing the law and obeying without question, Jesus turned the entire discussion on its head, asking whether it was more lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil. The answer being obvious, he healed the man. Yet his act of justice and truth, his absolute commitment to the mercy behind the law and to the over-riding law of love from which all other laws should flow, created rage in the authorities, who began plotting how to get rid of him. They could only deal with exact legal definitions, not pastoral considerations.

How do we know when we are called to strictly follow laws and when laws need to be bent or broken in the name of a greater good? Ah, there’s the rub. And people of good will can disagree on the answers. For instance, it was wrong to steal that lollipop, but would it be the same if my family was starving and I hid some much-needed food in my backpack? What is the appropriate Christian response to someone whose children are in immediate danger of being kidnapped, raped, or killed by violent gangs, who have neither the resources nor the time to go through legal visa channels and in desperation crosses illegally into another country in hopes of saving the family? Obviously, that family broke the law. Should they be treated in the same way as other criminals? Is there an overriding law of justice that needs to be applied? If Jesus were here today, how would he react to that family?

Another debated issue: It is the 50^th anniversary of Humana Vitae and the Catholic Church’s ban on contraception. Yet the majority of Catholics find that law to be untenable. They highlight their need to responsibly control the size of their family, and faithful couples report that, for a variety of reasons, using only natural family planning is not possible or effective in their cases. Is it lawful for the Church to support a marriage involving artificial contraception that allows a couple to feed and clothe their children in a stable context, or is it only lawful to strictly follow the rule regardless?

The overall message from scripture is that the laws of our society and the laws of our Church were created to bring order, harmony, and justice. Yet in the name of “following the law”, those same rules are sometimes enforced in their strictest form with no accommodation for mercy or true justice. When we act legalistically and without mercy or compassion, the yeast of our actions spreads through our community and world.  Pope Francis is constantly reminding us that Jesus’ call is to pastoral accommodation of the law. He urges us to “smell like the sheep”, to find out what people’s lives are truly like, and to respond with love, compassion, and Christ-like justice.

I don’t pretend to know the answers to all the questions of law and justice vs. mercy and compassion in our society. But I do believe that as Christians we must err on the side of mercy and compassion. That is what Jesus calls us to. That is what Pope Francis has instructed. Let’s commit to having those conversations, and opening the door to the overriding leaven of love.

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:

Isaiah 35:4-7a
James 2:1-5
Mark 7:31-37

Reflection:

Secrets to be Shared

Today is National Grandparents Day. At the Rio World Youth Day, Pope Francis spoke of Saints Joachim and Ann, according to tradition the grand-parents of Jesus, and parents of Mary. Pope Francis described them as ‘part of the chain of people who transmitted their faith and love of God, expressed in the love of family life, down to Mary who received the Son of God into her womb and gave him to the world and to us.’

Grandparents are important for our intergenerational exchange in families. All of us, elders or youngsters, have a vision of life, and each of our visions enrich our shared journeys. Too often in the weddings I celebrate, due to illness or death,  the grandparents of the bride and groom cannot be present. It is sad they are missing. But blessed are the celebrations, every celebration, that can include grandparents!

We can say that grandparents are a ‘secret or hidden force’, in the sense that what they bring as grandparents may be taken for granted, or is inaccessible due to the separation that distance imposes or hectic life styles keep apart. Today’s gospel, while not about grandparents, can remind us of the power of things hidden, that some secrets have to be proclaimed and shared.

The geography of Mark’s gospel is like following a confused GPS. Jesus crosses the lake and seems to be making a journey that circles the the southern Phoenician (Gentile) territory. Before returning to Galilee and leaving the Gentiles he will multiply the loaves and fish as he did also on the Jewish side of the lake. Today’s miracle like its companion (the healing of the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician mother), shows the Spirit that filled Jesus when he began his ministry. The prophecy of Isaiah read in the synagogue in Capernaum comes to life, ‘Blind eyes will be opened deaf ears will hear, those who cannot speak will sing. Springs will burst forth in the desert’.  . Among the Gentiles who cannot hear God’s word and whose praise of God may come out distorted, springs of water are appearing! God is with us who have little hope; God is our savior. He sets captives free.

Mark has his secret! Jesus tells the crowd to say nothing, but all the more they proclaim, “He has done all things well! He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak”.

How could Jesus leave the Gentiles without the gratitude of the Syro-Phoenician woman or the joy of the excited crowd and the man who has been healed? The Gentiles no less than the Jews, see the secret. Jesus is restoring a fallen creation. They need to echo the words of Genesis, “God saw everything that he had done, and it was exceedingly good” (Genesis 1:31). Often secrets leak out, someone steals the thunder, and then we have to act surprised. That’s life. We try to respond with respectful awe at the centurion who tells us at the correct moment that the man Jesus was truly the Son of God at the secret telling moment. But some secrets can’t wait, they need to be celebrated. Like grandparents, potentially secretive agents in our families, we need to be proclaimers of the secret in our intergenerational, inter-everything fragile world. Leak Mark’s secret. In a thirsty, at times deaf and stubbornly silent world, there is water of refreshment, there is something to proclaim.

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Luke 5:33-39

Reflection:

I have never been tempted to put new wine in old wineskins, in fact I don’t even know what a wineskin is. I guess I could look it up on Google, but then I wonder why would I, when today’s Gospel selection tells me I shouldn’t put my wine in them anyway.

I think I do understand the Scribes and Pharisees challenge to Jesus in today’s gospel selection:

“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink.” (LK 5:33)

For twenty years, I taught 10 to 15 years old boys who were often described as incorrigible.  If I told my students to open up a book, they would stare out the window. If I wanted to send them to the office, I could be sure that they would never make it there by themselves; I needed to send them with an escort.

Since my third year high school religion class, taught by Fr. Gerard, C.P., I’ve heard that if I want to follow Jesus, I must be willing to face life—the joys as well as the crosses, be grateful for that gift of life, and now here’s the corker, be willing to give it up. I think the Scribes and Pharisees and the apostles for that matter, heard Jesus’ message and like my students and myself sometimes, responded with disbelief and the above challenge.

I pray today, that I will have the courage to take Jesus at his word and do what he teaches.

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:18-23
Luke 5:1-11

Reflection:

When I put myself in Simon’s place in the boat with Jesus, I understand his objections to the Lord’s suggestion he lower his fishing nets into the deep areas of Lake Gennesaret. Peter’s trade was fishing. He supported his family on the craft and knew where the fish likely swam in thick schools when the winds blew from different directions, what times of day or night were best for hauling in full nets and what seasons were ideal. And he knew this lake well.

Jesus had no such skill or knowledge. He was a dazzling preacher and teacher, and maybe a skilled carpenter, but not a fisherman. So why should Simon take his advice about fishing?

Sometimes I object to God’s suggestions and guidance. I think I know best, despite the promptings of the Holy Spirit to go in a different direction.

God’s ways are not my ways. Sometimes God is constantly asking me to go where I’d rather not, to change when it is uncomfortable and to take risks when I am very afraid.

In prayer I listen in quiet for the movements of the Spirit within to lead me, often to uncomfortable, risky places.

“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command we will lower the nets.” The result so astonished Simon and his buddies that they left everything, including their preconceived notions of how to live their lives, and followed him. This is what conversion is – a surrender of my entire being to God’s ways. Will I take the risk?

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Luke 4:38-44

Reflection:

To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.  Luke 4:43

Like many people, I often think it would be nice to know exactly what path God wants me to take in this life. Over the years I’ve discussed this with a number of friends and clergy. How do I discern exactly what it is God wants me to do? It is said St. Paul of the Cross discerned God’s will through prayer, speaking with others around him, and the circumstances he found himself in.

But Jesus speaks plainly of his task: “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.“ It’s interesting to note that the phrase “proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God” is only three words in the Greek. It’s basically the idea that God is here among us and has everything in hand. I sometimes wonder if that was the message of Jesus, if that was his only task. If so, why do I keep wondering what my task is? Wouldn’t my task be to live in the kingdom of God? To share with others God’s love? To be the risen Christ to everyone I meet?

I wonder if I don’t over-complicate things in my life. I want to have a grandiose plan for what I’m supposed to do. This gospel seems to tell me that I’m to live my life as I find it with the knowledge that God has everything in hand.

My prayer for today is that I can surrender my will to God and live in His kingdom as I find it.

Talib Huff is a volunteer and presenter at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, California.