Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Jeremiah 31:7-9
Hebrews 5:1-6
Mark 10:46-52

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading for this Sunday (Mark 10:46-52), Jesus is leaving Jericho. By the roadside, a man named Bartimaeus is begging. He is blind. When he hears that Jesus is passing by, he cries out, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” When others tell him to be quiet, he just cries out again, “Son of David, have pity on me.” So, as is often the case, Jesus stops. And He tells the others to call Bartimaeus over. When the people tell Bartimaeus to go to Jesus, Mark tells us that “He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.” When Jesus asks him what he wants, Bartimaeus says, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus tells him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Bartimaeus receives his sight and proceeds to follow Jesus.

There is much symbolism connected with sight, and this encounter between Jesus and Bartimaeus has so much to teach us. To state the obvious, Bartimaeus cannot help but know he is physically blind. But he has faith enough to see that Jesus can help him. And what he is yearning for is to see.

When it comes to the commandment to love God and to love our neighbor, are we humble enough to recognize that we may be blind with respect to other persons or groups of people, or even to the rest of creation? When I get in my car, I have enough sense and humility to know that I can have blind spots when I’m driving. The car has a rearview mirror, and side mirrors, and in the case of the car I drive, a system that has a light that blinks when there is another vehicle coming up on one side of me or the other. I also have the sense to follow my training, and look to the side and a little behind when I want to change lanes. But can I have enough humility to recognize that I may have a blind spot when it comes to certain people or groups of people? And am I willing to ask God to let me see?

When we have trouble seeing others as God sees them: as those beloved of God, there is blindness there. It can be comfortable to stay in our blindness. We may be more apt to jump to conclusions than to be like Bartimaeus and jump up to be healed of our blindness.

Does this mean we should turn a blind eye, so to speak, to evil and injustice? No, we may have to speak up for what is right and just. We are to work for justice and peace and the common good as our way of helping build up the kingdom, and following the commandment to love. But does that have to involve being blind to the humanity of the “other?” Does it mean we try to take God’s place in condemning others? I don’t believe so.

Bartimaeus reminds us to ask for God’s grace to see clearly; to see others and all of creation as we are meant to see them. Perhaps we can add an intention to our daily prayers: “Master, where I am blind, I want to see.”

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior of the Passionist Community in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:7-16
Luke 13:1-9

Reflection:

My father could not abide those whom he described as “vulgar” or “crass.” He believed people were better than that and expected his children to be better than that. He was an attorney and had served in the US Navy, so he knew something of vulgar and crass characters. Were he alive today, the level of vulgarity and crassness would disappoint him greatly.

In his Letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul wrote about the work of the Christian community in building up the Body of Christ. The community had to avoid human trickery or deceitful scheming, he wrote, in order to live into the truth in love, to grow into Christ. The metaphor of the body as community is familiar to us. We approach the altar and say “Amen” to the Eucharistic minister’s declaration, “The Body of Christ.”  Not just receiving the Body of Christ but becoming the Body the Christ in the world today.

We hear vulgar and crass language used everywhere, but it is inimical to building up the community. When civic, church, and political leaders use it, the Body of Christ is especially diminished. When we ridicule someone who’s different than we are, when politicians mock others, when Christians make crude remarks about another person’s looks or religion or gender or whom they love, we harm the Body of Christ. How did we get to this place?

We all know that in our own physical bodies, there are less than perfect parts. But they are a part of who we are. We might well work at strengthening them or improving them, but they are members of this body called “me.” We need to hear Jesus say to us as individuals and as the Body of Christ, “You are my beloved, in you I am well pleased.” And I might imagine him adding, “So stop being so vulgar and crass.”

Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and was the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:1-6
Luke 12:54-59

Reflection:

Traction and Distraction

St. Paul of Tarsus is said to have written this Letter to the Ephesians from a prison cell; his future is bleak, yet his words are full of hope and encouragement. Paul has already experienced a profound joy while observing the salt-of-the-earth goodness of believers in an early faith community in Jesus Christ.

He then pleads for unity. “Make every effort to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace,” he writes.

The word diabolic, or devilish, comes from the Greek word, ballein, meaning “to throw.” It’s where we get the English word, ball. So, diabolic means to throw apart or to divide. In Goethe’s Faust, for example, when Mephistopheles enters the stage he announces, “I am the spirit who always divides.” The opposite of diabolic is symbolic, which literally means to throw together.  It’s why we speak of sacraments as symbolic; the grace of Eucharist or Reconciliation binds us together when geography or hurt feelings can separate us. If we seek an example of evil today it is that force which divides us rather than unites us. POLARIZATION.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus scolds the crowd for failing to appreciate the signs of the times. He repeatedly urges them to pay attention, stay awake, and recognize the present moment. Sometimes our greatest wound is not one of the capital sins like pride, anger, lust or greed. Today it might be distractions. Because our daily lives are saturated with interruptions — from cell phones and social media to emails and pixels of light — all demanding our attention or traction. Distractions.

Perhaps today I could grow in holiness simply by (what the Synod keeps thundering) LISTENING, giving my attention to a person at lunch, reading the signs of my time, traction, preserving the unity of the Spirit.

Fr. Jack Conley, CP, is the local superior of St. Vincent Strambi Community in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

Ephesians 3:14-21
Luke 12:49-53

Reflection:

Love of Christ

 To know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
-Ephesians 3:19

This week in the Eucharistic liturgy the Church shares with us the amazing love God has for each of us in His Son Jesus!  In the Epistle to Ephesians, we find some of the most astonishing statements of Jesus’s loving care for us!  In Eph 3:19 we read: “to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” The translation into English of the inspired Greek word for “surpasses” is a gross understatement of God’s feelings for us.  The Greek word is “upper-ballo” which means to throw something way over our head!  It would be like a catcher in baseball throwing a ball to a player on second base above him that the ball goes over the center field wall!   Jesus’ love for each one of us is so astounding it is impossible for us to even imagine it in our furthest dreams! 

The author of the Epistle reminds us that we must be rooted and grounded in the exceeding love that Christ has for us.  Not for a minute do we think we earned or deserve this prodigious caring fondness of Jesus!   We must indeed appreciate this lavish affection of His love and share it with others.  The great loss of our lives is a failure to comprehend how very much we matter to Him!

His love for us should give us an enormous sense of Peace. Paul said, “The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Gal 2:20 This wonderful gift of a deep understanding of God’s care should give us great peace in our life!  

Someone once said: “If you are depressed you are living in the past; if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace, you are living in the present.” —Lao Tzu If we are “rooted and grounded in the love that Christ has for us” the past only humbles us leaving our hope alive! The future gives us an unspeakable expectation of the joy of being in Jesus’ loving arms and smiling eyes!

“Peace, I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be a cowardly fearful.” John 14:27

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P., preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:12-22
Luke 12:35-38

Reflection:

For the weekday Masses during Ordinary Time, the Scripture readings go through the various books of the Old and New Testaments, and the Gospel readings are sequential as well. Because of this, the readings do not often point to the same aspect of faith or discipleship or Christian life. That is the case with our two readings for today.

In our first reading from Ephesians, St. Paul speaks about the Cross of Christ, and how the “enmity” between Jew and Gentile was put “to death by it.” In our Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus speaks to His disciples about always being vigilant in following Him, waiting for Him to return.

I suppose it’s because my mind and heart have been focused lately on reconciliation in the midst of divisions and factions all over the world, but I found myself sort of combining the two readings in some way.

What if our vigilance in following Jesus demonstrated itself in being vigilant for opportunities for reconciliation? What if we were to contribute to people coming together as an alternative to participating in the divisions into which we so often fall? Could not this be an expression of love of God and neighbor?

Jesus Christ died for all, not just some, even though many people do not believe in what He did and what He continues to do for us. It is true that part of serving the Gospel is speaking the truth. But at the same time, we need not push away others because of our differences. We can witness to the power of God’s love in working with all people of Good faith to put aside all the enmities that still exist in our world.

May Jesus find us working for peace and justice when He returns.

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior of the Passionist Community in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:1-10
Luke 12:13-21

Reflection:

In our gospel today, someone says to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”  Jesus does not directly respond. Rather Jesus cautions against greed.  Life does not consist of amassing lots of possessions. Jesus then shares a parable of the rich man who asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ So, he built larger ones.  How many of us have experienced neighbors who continuously purchase or build bigger and better things?  (Adapted from Fran Rossi Szpylczyn, Give Us This Day, October 21, 2024, p218.)

Many of us measure our success in terms of the amount of dollars earned, our raises and promotions gained, our productivity levels, and the amount of profit attained from our businesses.  Our culture emphasizes that the more we have and gain, the more successful we are.  “We earned it, so it is ok.”

In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us that the riches we store up are not separate from God.  There is a contradiction regarding amassing wealth and where it comes from – God. St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians provides us insight—we are given Christ’s saving grace.  This is God’s gift to us.  Have we accepted God’s grace and mercy? (Adapted from Fran Rossi Szpylczyn, Give Us This Day, October 21, 2024, p218.)

What is our goal and focus in life? When we die, we can take nothing with us except only God’s mercy and grace. We will be asked:  have we lived as Jesus did, sharing the inheritance of love to everyone we meet?  What will our answer be? (Adapted from Fran Rossi Szpylczyn, Give Us This Day, October 21, 2024, p218.)

Carl Middleton is a theologian/ethicist and a member of the Passionist Family.

Feast of St. Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Passionists

Scripture:

Isaiah 53:10-11
Hebrews 4:14-16
Mark 10:35-45

Reflection:

Today is a very important day for all the Passionists throughout the world.  It’s the feast day of our Holy Founder, St. Paul of the Cross.  Perhaps you’ve wondered what inspires the various Passionist priests and brothers you have known?  What vision do they carry in their hearts that forms them into the people they become?  Jesus Crucified is, of course, the most important inspiration for all of us.  But a man of the 18^th century, who allowed himself to be transformed by the love he saw in Jesus Crucified, is certainly a major inspiration as well.  So, I want to tell you a bit about St. Paul of the Cross because some people are just worth knowing.

Paul Daneo, St. Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Passionists, was born in 1694 in a small town called Ovada, in Northern Italy.  He was one of sixteen children, only five of whom survived infancy.  His father, Luke Daneo, owned a small clothing and tobacco shop that barely supported his large family.  His mother, Anna Maria, was a faith-filled woman, whose devotion to the Passion of Jesus was the source of her courage and strength as she endured the grief and loss of so many of her children.

From his earliest years Paul, by the example of his Mother, had a deep devotion to the Passion of Jesus and at the age of 19 had a vivid experience of the depth of God’s love.  As a result of this experience Paul became determined to give himself totally to God.  Due to family need, however, he stayed at home, helping to support the family by working in his father’s shop.  At 22 he joined the crusade against the Turks though it took only two months for him to realize that the army was not for him.  Returning home, he once again worked in the family business.

When he was 26, the circumstances of the family became a bit better and Paul finally felt free to pursue his own personal dreams. Bidding good-bye to his family, he went to Alessandria, where Bishop Gattinara, Paul’s spiritual director and confessor, clothed Paul in a black tunic on the day of his arrival and then sent him to the parish of St. Charles in Castellazzo for retreat.  In the small sacristy of the parish church Paul made a 40 day retreat.  It was during those 40 days that Paul had the most extraordinary experiences of union with God and wrote the Rule of Life for the congregation he hoped to found.

After his retreat Bishop Gattinara sent him back to his home town where Paul lived in various hermitages for several years.  In 1721 Paul made his way to Rome in hopes that he could get his Rule of Life approved by the Pope.  He was turned away by a Vatican guard so Paul returned home, discouraged but determined.  On his return, his brother, John Baptist, joined with him to try living according to Paul’s Rule of Life.  Paul and John Baptist became well-known catechists and Paul was even invited to give spiritual talks by various groups.

In 1725, the brothers returned to Rome and this time Paul was given verbal permission to gather companions to live according to his Rule of Life.  Cardinal Corrandini asked the brothers to work in a newly established hospital there in Rome.  The president of the hospital was so impressed by Paul and John Baptist that he arranged for them to be ordained to the priesthood.

As more men joined with Paul and John Baptist, they moved the whole community to Monte Argentario, a promontory about 150 kms northwest of Rome, where they established the first Passionist monastery in 1737.

While contemplation and prayer were at the very heart of Paul’s life and the life of his new institute, Paul himself soon became a very famous popular preacher, spiritual guide, writer and mystic.  For Paul the Passion of Christ was the most vivid witness to God’s love for us and he constantly called upon his followers to remember the sufferings of Jesus.

During his lifetime Paul founded thirteen monasteries of Priests and Brothers throughout Italy as well as a monastery of Passionist Nuns.  Today the Passionists live and serve in 62 countries of the world and are enhanced by other religious and lay groups who find inspiration in the Charism of St. Paul of the Cross.

This bare outline of the life of Paul Daneo only describes some of the important moments of his life.  But it was his interior transformation brought about by his total openness to God’s love and his commitment to love God with his whole heart that made Paul into one of the most significant mystics and spiritual guides of the 18^th century.  May his example lead you into a deep and passionate love for Christ who gave himself so generously for us all.

May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P., is a member of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Community in Sierra Madre, California.