Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Genesis 1:1-19
Mark 6:53-56

Reflection:

Often homes with young children have a space or a room which is disordered, cluttered, difficult to safely walk through and strewn with objects of various shapes, sizes and materials.  It is called the Toy Room, or in the case of my grandchildren, the Black Hole.  What goes in may never be seen again.  Periodically, the mother will feel compelled to bring order out of this chaos, to sort out the pieces, organize the games, reclothe the dolls, and establish some sense of purpose and potential wholeness to the randomly scattered components.  When finished, the mom will look about, smile in satisfaction, give and contented sigh and say to herself, “This is very good”.

In the beginning, according to Genesis, God took the formless wasteland and dark abyss and brought life giving order and potential to all that was. The disparate parts became whole and bursting full of the living breath of God.  All forms of life were an inter-related completeness of divine creation and became plentiful and fruitful and reflected God’s loving glory.  And God saw that this was good.

Jesus was thrust into the chaos of his time.  People from all regions would rush to meet him bringing the sick and infirmed to be in his presence and to hopefully touch the tassel of his cloak.  Jesus was known to have the power to bring wholeness to broken bodies and spirits and healing to the diseased and ailing.  The creative Spirit of God worked through Jesus to bring order to those living in the chaos of all manner of broken lives.  And Jesus knew that this was good.

Each of us through Baptism has been called to continue the creative life giving process of God.  In family life, in ministry, in everyday interactions with others we have the opportunity to be experienced as one through whom the creative Spirit works to bring the love and acceptance and joy that the world needs so much today.  And God knows that this will be very good.

Cathy Anthony is a former staff member of St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat Center, Detroit, Michigan. 

Scripture:

Isaiah 58:7-10
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Matthew 5:13-16

Reflection:

Can a person have an identity separate from their Christian identity?  Have you ever met a person who has one identity on Sunday but a different identity during the week?  I believe our true self, when we are most authentic,  is when we are rooted in Christ.  Who we are, is who we are in Christ.  And the readings this Sunday encourage that authenticity.

Our Gospel this fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time continues with where we left off last weekend.  Recall last Sunday, Jesus goes up on the mountain and begins to teach people.  He looks at those who have come out to hear him and sees people who are broken, lost, and trampled upon by society. And he calls these people  “blessed”.  He looks at those who have brought their relatives and friends to the mountain and he calls them “blessed”.  He looks at those whose lives are not complicated, in a simplistic way he asks, Do you know how blessed you are?   All the people gathered around him he invites to look at their blessedness. And so we continue with that teaching.

Today, he looks at those same people and instead of calling them “blessed” he now tells them that they are light, and they are salt.  Obviously, light is something that illumines, while salt’s purpose is to preserve and flavor.  How difficult would it have been for someone sitting on the hill that day to hear this?  Think about those whose lives were perpetually discredited, whom society frowned upon, and couldn’t make a contribution to society.  Many of those gathered at Jesus’ feet had no voice.  They were never listened to.  They were perpetually overlooked.  And if they tried to speak up they would have been quickly silenced and put in their place.    What must have their self-image and self-worth been like?   And to these people Jesus says, “You are Light.  You are Salt!”   For those hearing this for the first time, I wonder how many couldn’t hear it.  For being told by society for so long and so many years you are a nobody, being programmed to believe this, to hear someone like Jesus think highly of you or to see value in you when perhaps you couldn’t even see it in yourself may have certainly led to disbelief.   I wonder how many really questioned Jesus saying, “Seriously, I’m not light, I’m not salt.”  Then Jesus’ response would be, then obviously, you don’t know who you are.

Isaiah instructs us twice in this first reading that if you want your light to shine forth, if you want to shine with the glory of the Lord then it is as simple as sharing bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless, clothing the naked.  Matthew will restate this in the judgment scene directly before his passion narrative.  “When I was hungry you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink.  I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me.  I was ill and you comforted me, in prison and you came to visit me.  I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least ones, you did it for me.”  (Matthew 25 :35,36, 40)  As believers in the risen Lord, this is our fundamental job description.

I’m also thinking back this day to a quote originally attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, but also borrowed, modified and reused by other political and religious leaders including Herbert Hoover and Cardinal Roger Mahoney.  “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

It really doesn’t require discovering God’s light first and then planning a strategy of how we can let that light shine.  It’s first and foremost allowing ourselves to be so rooted in Christ that apart from Christ, I know that I am nothing.

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

Scripture:

Hebrews 13:15-17,20-21
Mark 6:30-34

 

Reflection:

The Great Commandment…Practically-Speaking

Today’s two Scripture selections and the Responsorial Psalm flow together in a lived application of the Great Commandment to “love God…love your neighbor…love yourself.” And as we’re close to the celebration of love highlighted in the ever-popular “Valentine’s Day”, these Scripture passages are a wake-up call to really let God’s love come alive in us – and in our world.

Our selection from the Letter to the Hebrews is the conclusion of the letter, issuing a call to its readers to “offer God a sacrifice of praise”…to “do his will”…and to give God glory forever and ever.  At a most basic level we’re encouraged:  Love God!

The writer also encourages the readers to “do good and share what you have.”  Most likely this encouragement is based on the prime example of Jesus and his apostles related in the Gospel selection from Mark.  The apostles gathered with Jesus to report on their tireless activities in sharing the Good News, and Jesus invited them all to go to a deserted place and rest a while…a welcome respite for any busy, hardworking person!  Off in a boat, to a deserted place, a mini-retreat…Love yourself!

Eager for healing and the message of mercy and love being offered, the crowds continued to pursue them – so much so that the needed rest and apostolic debriefing was put on hold while Jesus heart was moved and He reached out in love for those in special need.  These “sheep without a shepherd” were loved…Love your neighbor!

In our 21^st Century world we’re often overwhelmed with vivid stories of mistrust, violence, greed, poverty, discrimination, exclusion – you name it.  The rested, more contemplative spirit encouraged by Jesus helps provide a new and necessary perspective on our Christian faith meeting the needs of today’s world.  The Great Commandment is our rallying cry today, helping us provide a prophetic example to our needy brothers and sisters, based on the supreme example provided by Jesus Crucified.

So… Take a few moments; step aside from the hoopla and hype of Super Bowl, the warm fuzzies of the upcoming Valentine’s Day, the cold and perhaps frosty weather of the Northern Hemisphere.  Join Jesus for a few moments of peace and perspective in some “out of the way place”.  And, let these moments be a welcome breather, a life-giver – God’s love continues to be offered us all, and needed by each of us.  “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want…He refreshes my soul…He guides me in right paths.”  Amen.

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

Scripture:

Hebrews 13:1-8
Mark 6:14-29

Reflection:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

This is such a consoling verse. So many things in life are not stable, but Jesus never changes! That means we can build our lives on Him because He is the Rock, our firm foundation. His love for us doesn’t waver, doesn’t depend on what we do or don’t do. He just loves us. Every day and all the time. He is an anchor for our souls. Life can be difficult when things don’t feel secure in our lives.

Right now I feel like my life is poised somewhat on shifting sand. That’s because we have relocated, but not sure where we will end up. We are living with one of our sons, while looking for a piece of property. But buying that property depends on whether another son is going to move here with his family as well. There is also the possibility son number one won’t stay here or may sell the house we are in before we have found our own place.

In the bigger picture, it seems that our country is also in a precarious position. It can be easy to get nervous about recent events and wonder how it will all play out. Will our country ever be unified again, “one nation under God, indivisible?” Will there ever be peace in so many war-torn countries?

How wonderful it is, then, that we know Jesus will never change. We can count on Him to do all that He says He will do. In the night now when I wake up and start thinking of all the what-if’s that concern me, I remember that Jesus is with me and that He will work all things for good. I can count on His promises and fall back asleep letting Him be my peace. Thank You Lord that You are my hope, You are my anchor in any storm, and I can trust in You! Thank You that I am secure in Your love for me no matter what happens.

Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Portland, OR 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 the Presentation of the Lord

Scripture:

Malachi 3:1-4
Hebrews 2:14-18
Luke 2:22-40

Reflection:

This is the one feast of the Church year that immediately reminds me of the image of my grandmother, “Chanita”.  Her name was “Feliciana”, and she was my father’s mother.  Her life’s story was punctuated by events anything but felicitous.  We kids got to know her because she lived with us throughout the time I was in grade school; the year I left for the seminary, she moved to a nursing home, and two years after that, she died, on the very day that I was coming home for summer vacation from the seminary, at the very hour that my father and mother had left her bedside to come pick me up at the Union Station in Los Angeles.

As we grew old enough, we got to hear some of the stories of her years growing up in an hacienda around the village of San Andres, in Chihuahua, Mexico.  She married Vicente Carrillo, and they went across the Rio Grande to El Paso TX, where two children were born: Julia, and Jose.  Julia had cerebral palsy, her paralysis would require a mother’s constant care.  Vicente wanted to move the family to California, where jobs were more plentiful, but Chanita wouldn’t think of leaving the environs of her relatives, especially with so much care needed by Julia.  The couple separated, leaving Jose to look after himself at a young age, and Chanita, caring for her daughter, cared for her until the illness and the lack of adequate medical care brought an early, child’s death into the maternal heart of Chanita.

That tragic background was reflected in the ways that we came to know and love our grandmother.  She always dressed in black; she prayed day and night (we often shared the same bedroom); she went to both parish Sunday Masses (it was a mission church; had there been more Masses, she would probably have worked in a few more, if possible); she gathered us around her bedroom altar, on our knees, to pray the Rosary each evening (with the undulating flame of her vigil candles distracting us from the pain in our knees); and we never tired of listening to her tell us of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego.  In our naïve, childrens’ imagination, we sometimes wondered (aloud) why she hadn’t become a “nun”–which would have left us more bedspace in our crowded house.

As I grew older, entered the seminary, learned of the richness of meditation and of the rich font of inspiration found in the Scriptures, I began to associate people and events in the context of a scripture reading.  So it was that one year, as the readings of the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple were being offered to us for our reflection, that I began to identify Anna and Simeon with the real life person of my grandmother, Chanita.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was  upon him. Simeon, the just and elderly man, had been led by the Spirit of God to the Temple, where he found the consolation of his life-long desire to know that God’s savior had prevailed over time, over a life-time.  Anna, who never left the temple, worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.

Chanita, as faithful as Simeon and as prayerful as Anna, trudged every Sunday to the temple of Our Lady of Victory Chapel, in East Los Angeles, to meet with her consolation, the real presence of Christ in the Mass and Holy Communion.  When, just a few years after she was no longer able to walk to the church, she surrendered her soul to the Father, it was the “nunc dimittis” shared with Simeon.  She had indeed welcomed the Salvation promised by God many times over through a persevering faith in God’s eternal love for those whose lives have known suffering and pain.

As we listen to the Gospel narrative of these two elderly people who longed for the fulfillment of their hopes and of their faith, look around, notice the hopes and faith of the elderly folks who live nearby, down the street, around the block, in the parish, and at the grocery.  The Spirit of God has led them through many of the aches and sorrows of the human heart, but they continue to live with the hope and faith that they are in God’s care.  May we always welcome and treasure their witness to us and to our families.

Fr. Arthur Carrillo, C.P.  is the director of the Missions for Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

Hebrews 12:1-4
Mark 5:21-43

Reflection:

So, today’s Gospel really interests me.  There’s just so much there!!  A desperate father runs up and begs Jesus to go with him so he may heal his gravely ill daughter.  Jesus drops everything and leaves immediately.  On the way, a woman, equally desperate but for her own salvation, believes so deeply that just “touching his cloak” heals her completely.

On the surface, this is all about Jesus healing the sick.  The salvation he offers, even on this temporal earth, is not just significant, but life-changing.  To be brought to wholeness, our pieces put back together better than before, is certainly something for which most of us pray.

Digging a little deeper, we can recognize how great the faith was of the people crying out for Jesus’ saving power.  Here are people who, in deep need, turn to someone they’ve never met, but only heard about.  Would it not be amazing if we all would have faith so strong?

Reflecting further, with Jesus performing not just one but two life-saving miracles back-to-back, it’s clear that there’s enough of him to go around for us all.  He doesn’t hold back his saving power because it’s limitless.  For my human mind, it’s unfathomable that someone’s mercy, forgiveness, and healing grace could be not only free flowing, but unending.

Which leads us to our next revelation – how Jesus came as a savior for everyone; Jews and non-Jews, men and women, highly esteemed members of society and outcasts, those who are “righteous” as well as we who are “broken” – all are equal in his eyes, and all are equally deserving of God’s love and healing.  Just as before, he holds nothing back, and gives freely to any and all.

But wait…there’s more!

Jairus, the father of the sick little girl, waits patiently while Jesus spends time with the woman on the way.  He didn’t say “C’mon, Jesus!  She’s an outcast!  Leave her there… my daughter is more important.”  No… instead he waited – and sadly, word came that his little girl died.

And Jesus, hearing that the little girl had died, didn’t say “Dude… my bad.  Sorry.  Let me stop by later with a casserole and we’ll chat.”  No… instead he said “Be not afraid,” and goes to that which everyone believes is hopeless and raises her up to new life.

Later in Jesus’ life he would also wait to go to his friend, Lazarus.  When he got there, Lazarus was dead and buried.  His family had been mourning and knew in their hearts it was beyond hope.

“Surely, he would not have died if you had been here, Lord.”
Jesus proves God’s miracles can know no limits of time or circumstance.
“Lazarus, come out.”

How many times have we faced something which seemed hopeless?  How many times have we been impatient with God, or failed to understand his plan and timing?  I know I sure have… and a lot.  And yet, through everything we do and in the midst of every trial, there He is, walking with us on the road toward all that needs raising.

So reach out, touch his cloak.  Cry out loudly.  Whatever it takes, whatever you need to do, do it.  God is there, waiting.  He’ll drop what he’s doing and will walk with you, because there’s enough of Him to go around for us all.

Sometimes we get what we hope for.
But, we may not get the answers immediately – only in God’s time.
We may not even get the particular salvation we’re after – only God’s plan.
Even when it seems hopeless, it’s not too late to turn to God and cry out for help.
Even in your darkest moment, it’s never too late to have faith in God’s saving power.

Dear God, thank you for the gift of you.  Please, grant us the faith to call for you, reach for you, and know your healing – in your perfect way, in your perfect time.  … thy will be done. 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.

Scripture:

Hebrews11:32-40
Mark 5:1-20

 

Reflection:

Comfort and Companionship Amidst the Challenges

Both Scripture selections present major challenges:  how do we deal with the demons of lethargy and evil?  No small challenge for the people of Jesus’ time, or today.

The Letter to the Hebrews was written in part to give courage and support to the early community of Christians that had lost heart.  Their initial fervor had cooled and the “demon” of spiritual lethargy settled among them.  The author of Hebrews tried to jog their memories with mention of men and women heroes from the past and all they had endured for the Lord.  These ancient heroes had responded to challenges of their times, and could also motivate those dealing with the current challenges in the early Church.

Jesus confronted the reality of evil in the person of the possessed Gerasene.  Imagine:  a “wild” man from the tombs, unable to be restrained even by chains, shrieking aloud as he roamed the area.  He sought out Jesus, and as requested Jesus cast the “legion” of evil spirits into a very large herd of swine that perished as they ran over a nearby cliff.  The possessed man’s life was radically re-oriented; Jesus asked him to return to his family and tell them what God had done for him.  News of this event spread, and all who heard of this “miracle” or saw the changed Gerasene were truly amazed!

As 21^st century disciples, we believe in Jesus — and we are often challenged by today’s demons of despair or lethargy.  We likewise see in our world today’s demons of violence, abuse, poverty, injustice. We can all-too-easily say “what’s the use?  why try to change the unchangeable?”  Jesus meets us head-on and invites us to be in communion with him, and with his people – our brothers and sisters – in the Church.  With Jesus, we together seek healing and strength in the Life Jesus offers us in the Scriptures and the Eucharist.  We never stand alone but face all life’s challenges with the dynamic Life and fellowship which is ours in Jesus.  Who knows what miracles Jesus may work in and through us?

As members of the Passionist family facing the challenges and sufferings of 21^st century life, may we “take comfort, all who hope in the Lord”.  St. Paul of the Cross and all our Passionist saints and blesseds, pray for us.

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

Scripture:

Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12 – 13
1 Corinthians 1:26 – 31
Matthew 5:1-12

Reflection:

The readings for today offer us many treasures. Seeking God. Knowing the difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. And how to find spiritual happiness.

The word seek, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, can mean to search for; to be in quest of; to ask for something or to achieve something. Seeking God can mean that we may be lost or we may be seeking God’s will in our lives, or seeking God to ask for a need. Seeking God in any of these forms is a journey that takes a life time. A journey that calls us to conversion throughout our lives. The scriptures, the Eucharist, and personal prayer guides us in this journey.

As with any journey we need to take a few things along. Matthew’s Gospel gives us the tools we need for our spiritual journey through the Beatitudes. Meekness, showing mercy, being a peacemaker, being hungry for justice and a few others. And this journey is not without its trials and tribulations. We are warned that there will be insults and persecutions along the way. No where in scripture does it say that being a follower of Christ is going to be a breeze. On the contrary, it is challenging to be a Christian. If we are walking on the right path it will be hard sometimes not just for us but for those around us as well. We challenge others not so much with our words as we do with our actions.

Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians also assists us in this journey of seeking God by explaining the difference between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world. How do we know what is the wisdom of the world and what is the wisdom of God? Taking time to reflect upon a situation, events, or what someone else says to us or to a larger group is important. What is going to be my response in light of the scriptures or teachings of the Church? How am I going to grow in my spiritual life because of my response? Is it going to push me outside of my comfort zone? Am I willing to take the risk?

“Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, . . . seek justice, seek humility . . .” Zephaniah 2:3

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