Daily Scripture

Scripture:

2 Timothy 2:8-15
Mark 12:28-34

Reflection:

I attended a weekly community meeting the other morning where we discussed a current political issue and as is often the case, the conversation got quite lively, to put it mildly. At one point I shared my experience as a child growing up, recalling the women of my local parish collecting old sheets, cutting them up and sending them to the missions where they could be used as bandages. Another attendee responded that Catholics just want to convert everyone.  I’m afraid my response to him was not a very loving one. I snapped: “Well, I’m sure you know a lot more about that than I do.” (he’s not a Catholic) I apologized the following week admitting my response to be sarcastic and not called for and he accepted my apology.

I certainly realize why he might think that way, especially realizing I was referring to the 1950’s. We truly were a zealous church wanting to fulfill Jesus’ command to go out to all nations, baptizing them…  Certainly some people could rightfully interpret that as promotion, rather than what I believe was the true intent of those Catholic women who gathered, that is, a loving and caring for people they didn’t even know. When asked by a Pharisee in today’s Gospel selection, what is the greatest commandment, Jesus responded:

Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.” (MK 12:29-33)

I love the words attributed to St. Francis: “Preach the Gospel and when necessary use words.” I pray today that my words and actions will demonstrate the peace and love I have learned to be at the heart of the Christian message.

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

Scripture:
2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12
Mark 12:18-27

Reflection:
The personality of Paul lunges out of the text at us as we read the words of 2 Timothy in today’s selection.  He claims his title as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, made so by the will of God so that he might achieve the promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Because he was convinced of his divine vocation and the promise of eternal life which depended on his faithful obedience to God’s call to him, the struggles and sufferings that would mark his apostolic journeys were given meaning, and given a relatively secondary importance.

2 Timothy is set in a jail cell; to Paul is ascribed the certainty that he is soon to die, and thus his wish to be reunited with his co-worker for the Lord, Timothy.

This is the same conviction that any Christian can have when he or she is convinced that Jesus Christ has not only died for his or her salvation, but that He has also called each one of us into a life of grace and mission as members of Christ’s Body, the Church.  The struggles and sufferings of life do not go away, but they fall into place as expressions of our mission, to witness to the life of Jesus and to draw all people to a life of grace in the Church of Jesus Christ.

In the gospel of today’s lectionary, Jesus fields the question of multiple spouses and the afterlife.  Since the Sadducees were trying to corner Jesus into a contradiction in his teaching, we don’t take this question, or Jesus’ answer, as an example of good catechetical practice.  Nor do we expect to find the core teaching of Jesus on the subject of marriage in this exchange.

1 Cor 2:9 (But as it is written: “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,”) reminds us that we are responsible for giving our hearts and minds over to God’s truth in this life; but we can not even begin to understand how our life with Christ will be realized in the eternal Kingdom of God.  What a joy and fulfillment lies ahead for each us.  We can respond with the words of 2 Timothy, “…I know him in whom I have believed and am confident that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.”

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

Feast of St. Boniface                                                                      

Scripture:

2 Peter 3:12-15a, 17-18
Mark 12:13-17

Reflection:

Our Universal Church celebrates this day the feast of Boniface, a great Missionary in Europe who was instrumental in reorganizing the church in Germany and the Frankish kingdom. Living in the eighth century as a Benedictine monk, he was sent to preach the Gospel in Germany, earning the title “Apostle of Germany.” His respect earned him greater responsibility as he was named Abbot and eventually Archbishop by Pope Zachary.  He died as a martyr when a group of barbarous pagans interrupted the confirmation of a group of neophytes.

The strongest connection I see with Boniface’s life and today’s gospel is the integrity and zeal for righteousness and truth.  As we continue today in this twelfth chapter of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus has already ascended to Jerusalem and we are in the final week of his life.  Jesus’ popularity has grown.  He has great influence over people which is threatening to the religious leaders.   The last line of yesterday’s gospel was, “They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,”   Thus, in an attempt to discredit Jesus they concoct a plot involving a yes/no question which will lead Jesus into a trap regardless of his answer.

The question  is very straight forward.  “Is it lawful to pay the tax to the emperor or not?”    Notice how smoothly Mark mentions the Herodians, the people who would have sided with Herod and would stand with the emperor. Their purpose for being in the questioning was to witness to Jesus’ answer.  If Jesus speaks against paying taxes, Herod could charge Jesus as an act against the state.  Thus the political authorities would take care of the Pharisees’ problem.

If however Jesus says “Yes,” you must pay the tax then many who have been his followers will be disheartened by this message and they will begin falling away as Jesus’ credibility will be in question.   They hope to create a rift in Jesus’ group thus opening an opportunity for the Pharisees and Sadducees to win back some who have been influenced by Jesus.

What does Jesus do?   He understands that two is not an option.  And so he creates a third option which isn’t so limiting.   Those setting the trap never expected this.  There were only two options; Jesus creates something new.

I recognize how reflection on this reading after the lengthy seasons of Lent and Easter, and most recently our celebration of Pentecost gives a new expression to its meaning.  This really isn’t about trying to outwit your opponent when somehow the conversation leads into a Jesus talk.  It is far more about being in tune with how the spirit gives you wisdom and guidance all aspects of day to day life.  When we are in tune with that, our lives have a more pleasant sense of direction, purpose and joy.

 

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

Scripture:

2 Peter 1:2-7
Mark 12:1-12

Reflection:

All of Life is God’s Gift…and our Thanks?

Today’s first Scripture Reading from the 2^nd Letter of St. Peter invites us to ponder the wisdom – and challenge — of a rather “hidden” part of the New Testament.  Peter’s opening words:  “God’s divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power.”  Peter goes on to encourage us:  “…for this reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.”  All life is gift…pure and simple!  Treasure the gift!

There’s a special challenge in today’s selection from Mark’s Gospel.  Mark shares Jesus’ parable of the vineyard and the evil tenants…a pointed story-with-a-message which Jesus addressed to the religious leaders of his day that were out to get Him.  The parable was a powerful indictment of those leaders who were seeking to arrest Jesus…but who also feared the increasing crowds that were attracted to Jesus’ teachings.  The “gift” of the life of Jesus was too much for those religious leaders; they rejected Him and His message of love…and they ultimately crucified Him.  The words of Jesus’ parable were on-target!

We are invited to generously respond to God’s gift in the Person of Jesus in our lives and our world.  We can half-heartedly say “yes” to His offer of love and encouragement and go our merry ways; we may even turn away from Jesus in our moments of sinfulness and selfishness, OR we can wholeheartedly embrace Jesus as our Savior and our Love.  How do we respond to Jesus these late spring days?

May we respond as did the author of Psalm 91:  “In you, my God, I place my trust.”  May God’s grace and peace be ours in abundance, through Jesus, for lives of love and generosity.  Amen!!

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

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Scripture:

Exodus 24:3-8
Hebrews 9:11-15
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

Reflection:

I don’t know about you, but I’m really glad that we don’t have to do animal sacrifices at church and then be sprinkled with blood for our sins to be forgiven! Can you imagine the mess and stench? Thank You Jesus for shedding Your own blood for us. Not only did He pay the price because He was the perfect sin offering, the spotless Lamb, but He also gave us His Body and Blood to be our spiritual food.

How blessed are we? We are the only church that believes in the True Presence and we are even able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist every day. As always, there is a danger when we do something often – it can become rote, and lose its meaning. It’s very important to be aware of the importance of what we are doing if we go to communion every day, or anytime we go. It’s easy to miss how great a mystery happens every day on altars around the world.

I read recently in a reflection by St. Faustina that many people receive Jesus as a “dead thing” when they go to communion. Either by not believing in the True Presence, by being distracted and just going out of habit, or by not being recollected. Apparently there are many Catholics who don’t believe in or understand transubstantiation.

I googled: “How many Catholics believe in the True Presence?” This is what I found: “About half of U.S. Catholics know the official teaching, and half do not. Of the half who know it, about 90 percent believe it. So, that translates to about 46 percent of all survey respondents.” In the second article from the National Catholic Register (2015) I read: “About 65% of practicing Catholics said the Eucharist is ‘the true presence of Jesus Christ,’ but a similar number of non-practicing Catholics said it is ‘a symbol.’”

Maybe it’s time to take a good look at how we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Let’s ask Him to help us be more aware if necessary so that we can open ourselves up to the amazing grace available to us each time we go to communion. Let’s cherish this great gift Jesus offers to us each day and never take it for granted.

One more thing – if you have never read about the Eucharistic Miracles, I invite you to do so. You will be amazed.

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:

Jude 17, 20B-25
Mark 11, 27-33

Reflection:

Both of today’s readings challenge us to live our Christian belief and way of life in the face of opposition and unbelief.

Of course, religious opposition and unbelief have come to mean many things in the historical development of our present-day American life.

The religious foundations of our United States of America were full of contestations, not unlike that of Jesus’ experience in today’s Gospel. The Protestant Puritans were seeking a place where they could follow their religious tenets without persecution or loss of civil rights.

The Catholics under the leadership of John Carroll sought a safe haven in the colonies which were clearly dominated by the Anglican traditions of the British settlers. Maryland became that safe haven.

The “Quakers,” Society of Friends, made a place for themselves in the City of Brotherly Love (philos adelphoi).

The slave trade that preceded the Civil War era created a population in the USA whose religious beliefs would be an amalgam of the beliefs that were deeply rooted in their African history and the influence of a white society that knew it had to keep them subservient.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) has a history of exclusion and mob persecution that forced it from settlements in New York, and Illinois, until it finally came to establish its promised land in Utah.

In keeping with the fact that the shaping of our national history is forged out of the conflict around, and the challenge to, the religious tenets of our people, the more recent, 19^th and 20^th century, streams of immigration continued to mirror the experience of contrasting religious beliefs.

Catholics, Muslims and Jews have all known the exclusionary strategies that made coming to the USA a test of wills and a test of their resolve to flee from persecution and to seek a safer life for their families

The Gospel passage from Mark is a clear and simple narrative of the kind of opposition that Jesus met from the vested authorities of his time. Jesus was challenged by persons who had no interest in his teaching, but looked for ways to trap him in his public statements, in order to diminish his standing in the face of the people.

Religious faith gives a people resilience. God’s Spirit helps Christians to face the challenges that are not always religiously motivated, but are intent on diminishing the voice that Christians shall have in the surrounding society.

At the conclusion of today’s Gospel, Jesus makes the choice to keep silent in the face of his attackers, and to proceed along the path of righteousness that He was going to be faithful to and that he would make possible for his followers.

Beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand
by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in the love of God
and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
that leads to eternal life. (Jude 17, 20-21)

We are those followers.

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

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

Scripture:

1 Peter 4:7-13
Mark 11:11-26

Reflection:

Today the church remembers one of the great early martyrs who was also a philosopher and theologian.  Justin, who was born in present day Nablus, a city in Palestine, had a long intellectual journey before arriving at his strong faith in Jesus Christ and the Christian view of life.  He had tried several other philosophies as guides in seeking God but ultimately was impressed with the virtues and quality of life of the Christians and this drew him to his new faith. He, and several of his students, were beheaded in Rome about 165 AD because they refused to submit to emperor worship.

While the readings for today were not selected specifically in memory of Justin, a connection can be found.  The first reading is from the First Letter of Peter, one of the New Testament’s most beautiful books.  The purported author Peter writes to several churches located in Asia Minor, present day Turkey.  A strong emphasis of the letter is that the Christians should give the witness of a virtuous life to their surrounding non-Christian neighbors.  A famous verse in this letter—not included in this selection—asks the Christians to always be ready, when asked to give an account of the reason for their hope—but to do so with gentleness and respect.

The quality of the Christian community’s own inner life is also meant to be a public witness.  In the passage we hear at today’s Mass, the author urges his Christians “let your love for one another be intense…”  “Be hospitable to one another without complaining.  As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.  Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”

The Gospel of Mark’s dramatic account of Jesus’ purifying the temple makes a similar point about doing good but in a very different mode.  On the way into Jerusalem from Bethany, Jesus discovers a fig tree that does not have any fruit on it and condemns it!  And then comes his strong action in the temple, acclaiming that the behavior of those frequenting the temple had transformed it from being a “house of prayer for all peoples” into a “den of thieves.”  When Jesus and his disciples head back to Bethany to spend the night, they discover that the fig tree had withered.  In effect, the evangelist uses this strange incident of a barren fig tree as a commentary on the misuse of the Temple.   The scene concludes with Jesus reminding his startled disciples that when they pray they should first “forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.

Authentic faith and piety should make a difference in the manner of our life, particularly how we treat others.  Justin’s experience and Jesus’ condemnation of false piety remind us of the powerful witness that comes with authentic Christian virtue.

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.

The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3:14-18a or Romans 12:9-16
Luke 1:39-56

Reflection:

In today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke, Mary, after hearing the news from the angel that she would give birth to the Messiah, traveled “in haste” from Nazareth to the house of her cousin Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, which was in a village in the hill country of Judea. When Mary arrived, she found her elderly cousin also pregnant. Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary, “filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

In 1987 I was a senior in high school and on retreat with my classmates in the hills above Malibu. Wow, what a tough area for a teen to have to go on retreat. It was a great weekend, though, as we discussed God and how he related to us as young men in the world, and as we played games and ate good food, and really had nothing to worry about.

Until it was time to prepare to receive the Holy Eucharist.

We were told to go to confession before mass. All the while standing in line I was thinking, “Let’s see… I can’t tell him that or that, oooh, and certainly not that!” I was so embarrassed of the things I’d done. I just couldn’t tell anyone… but especially not a priest! I was so ashamed of so very much, the least of which was that this was the first time I’d be going to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation through all of high-school.

When I finally went in I was honest and embarrassed, and the priest didn’t seem surprised or put off by anything I said. He gave me my penance, which consisted of one Our Father and 3 Hail Marys, and then think about what I’d done. I diligently prayed those prayers, thought about what I’d done, and then I thought something else. At the time, I didn’t realize how silly it was.

“Confession is silly.
I don’t need a middleman.
I’m just going to tell God directly.
That’ll be good enough.”

I’ll bet I’m not alone in that thought…

Fast-forward 25 years and I had not been to confession since that retreat. I’d become incredibly weary of trying to ignore God’s call to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I was so broken I didn’t think anyone could put me back together again. But, friends, let me tell you something – I mustered up all my courage and went. I was in the confessional for what seemed like a half-hour, and when it was done I went to perform my penance. This time it was also one Our Father, and three Hail Marys, but I was directed to go and sit with the Blessed Sacrament, quietly, and ponder the words to those prayers as I offered them. I’d prayed them so many times, though! What new things could there be for me to think about? Well, at that moment, I became the silly one…

Here are the three parts of the Lord’s Prayer that stung me most.

“Our Father…”
This means that everyone is my sister or brother. Even that beggar on the freeway off-ramp and the thief that stole my identity.

“Thy will be done…”
This means I must let go of my agenda and embrace what God wants. But I want what I want!

“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Uh-oh. So, I’m telling God that I expect to be forgiven, but *only* to the extent to which I’m willing to forgive that person that hit me? The person who lied? Or stole from me? Betrayed me… destroyed me to my core?

Pretty big thoughts.

But it was my reflecting on the Ave Maria – the Hail Mary – the simple prayer to our Mother of Sorrows, the Mater Dolorosa, that hit me most deeply.

“Hail, Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb – Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners,
now,
and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Which part of that prayer, first uttered by St. Elizabeth, stands out most to you? For me, it was these two lines: “The Lord is with thee. Pray for us, sinners.”

We, sinners, who need all the help we can get, have it, if only we would ask. That day, this prayer from the beautiful Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary reminded me that I’m not alone, even if I feel like I am, even if I want to be. If only I tear down my walls and open my heart, I’d have the space for God, my Father, Jesus, my Brother, the Holy Spirit, breath in me.

Well, after I pondered all this, and more, I experienced the most amazing thing… Friends, there is nothing I’ve felt more powerfully than when I’ve received Jesus during communion after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The intimate and powerful meeting with God is amplified so deeply when we acknowledge our failings and our brokenness, and then get to actually hear someone tell us, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Now I hit the confessional regularly… and boy do I need it. And the Ave Maria is one of my favorite prayers. But perhaps when I next pray the beautiful Hail Mary I’ll be reminded that she’s waiting to visit me, to help me, to ask God to be with me when I’m most in need.

Like right now. And tomorrow.
And at the hour of my death. Amen.

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