Daily Scripture

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

 

Scripture:

Hebrews 10:32-39
Mark 4:26-34

Reflection:

“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.”

Yesterday I read a story in the USA Today newspaper about a refugee camp mistakenly bombed in Nigeria. I could not take my eyes off the accompanying picture from the Doctors without Borders organization. It showed a wounded child caught in the bombing of the camp. The photograph mesmerized me, especially the child’s eyes, full of fear and longing for a comforting embrace. The story said there were casualties among the staff members of Doctors without Borders and the International Red Cross. Apparently, these courageous saints decided to plant their own mustard seeds in the midst of suffering children.

Where have we decided to plant our own mustard seeds? Are they planted in a comfortable, safe environment? Have we chosen to locate our houses of prayer and solitude on the outskirts and periphery of the world’s suffering people? Our current Pope Francis exhorts us to take on the “smell of the sheep” as we witness the gospel of Jesus.  Do we smell like the sheep? We all know that there are many diverse ways to serve the people of God and many different, wonderful fields to plant our mustard seeds in.

For me, the challenge is to make sure that my choice about where to plant my mustard seeds is an intentional choice. I need to consider, pray about and carefully discern this choice. For me, the choice seems somewhat limited because of my age and physical condition.

Or is it? I invite you to pray with me for generosity of heart and courage as we plant our own mustard seeds.

“But once the seed is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”

Terry McDevitt, Ph.D. is a member of the Passionist Family in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

2 Timothy 1:1-8 or Titus 1:1-5
Mark 4:21-25

Reflection:

For us in the northern hemisphere, winter brings shortened days. The sun, when it breaks through the gloomy clouds, burns bright but not all that warm.  References to lamps and light and candles in today’s gospel make a lot of sense as we light our lamps in the darkness of morning and yet again in the early evening. Without the long days of summer when the sun provides most of the light we need for most of the day, we appreciate how a single lamp dispels the darkness. How the flame of a single candle can fill a room with warmth.

At our baptism, the priest or deacon handed to our parents and godparents a candle lit from the Easter Candle. He said to them…

 Parents and godparents,
this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly.
This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ.
He/she is to walk always as a child of the light.
May he/she keep the flame of faith alive in his/her heart.
When the Lord comes, may he/she go out to meet him
with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.

We don’t light a lamp without thinking that it will help guide our way. The light helps us avoid stumbles. It gives us direction. If you have ever been in total darkness, you know a light provides a sense of where we are in relation to other people and objects. We often say, “We’ll leave a light on for you,” as a way to convey our hope that a loved one will safely come home.

The light of Christ burns within each of us. It is the joy we know, the kindness extended, the love shared. Our lamp is placed high on the lampstand when we say “thank you” to the store clerk or waitress, when we call a friend to simply say hello, or when we write a note of condolence. The light of Christ that burns within us can truly light up another’s life. That is why we have been given the light…so that it will be shared.

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

The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle

Scripture:

Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-11
Mark 16:15-18

Reflection:

With computers’ capabilities and social media technology continually increasing, transparency in government, church, and other institutions is enhanced as well. A painful realization for many folks today, however, is that our celebrities and even our heroes have clay feet. We are no longer shocked by moral lapses in the lives of politicians, entertainers, even ministers. And we hear about it every day!

Yet consider the great patriarch, Abraham.  He who is reverenced as father of the entire Judeo-Christian people — and Islam as well — he who generously offered to Lot the right to be the first among the two to pick the territory he desires,  he who warmly welcomed strangers, serving as the model of kindness and hospitality… Abraham couldn’t even care for his own child. He abandons his son, Ishmael, and the child’s mother, Hagar, in the desert wilderness, without food or water!

Or we might ponder the infidelity of David; though Israel’s greatest king, he was an adulterer and murderer, taking Bathsheba for his own, then quickly guaranteeing that her husband dies in battle.

Today we reflect on the life of Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles. Prior to his “conversion,” Saul of Tarsus was the greatest of rabbis, at the peak of his religious and political career. Yet it was Saul of Tarsus who concurred in the stoning of St. Stephan. He who was willing to die for his religious beliefs was also willing to kill for them.

What is to be learned from these scriptural narratives and liturgical celebrations?  It seems that certitude surely isn’t the best of virtues, when it is not accompanied by humility. An ISIS extremist has certitude, suicide bombers have no doubts. Today’s feast reminds me that I cannot always rigidly catalog others into my categories of right and wrong, good and evil.  Paul’s conversion… and mine… are constant reminders that canonizing or demonizing others, calling them saint or Satan, genius or jerk… is not only foolish or silly, but unchristian.

Fr. Jack Conley, C.P. is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Scripture:

Hebrews 9:15, 24-28
Mark 3:22-30

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel reading from Mark, we see yet another instance when the religious leaders of the people are in conflict with Jesus, saying, “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” Jesus proceeds to demonstrate the fallacy of this claim by reflecting that if “Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand.”

Then Jesus speaks about an “everlasting sin.” He says: “Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is attributing the work of the Spirit, i.e., driving out demons, to Satan.

I struggle with the concept of “no forgiveness” even though it is blasphemy against God. I would like to think that if the scribes and the Pharisees repented of this sin, they might have been forgiven. These words of Jesus also lead me to reflect on how easy it can be to “demonize” those who disagree with us or oppose us. Today is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and the bishops in the U.S. have called for a day of prayer for the legal protection of unborn children. I keep hoping there is a way to stand up for what is right without characterizing those who are on the other side as evil. I have always admired those who would listen to those women who have had abortions, and those programs that seek to bring healing and reconciliation to those who have repented, as well as those who have worked with women (before and after) who are considering the best option when it comes to having a baby.

In upholding life and working against a culture of death, may we not in turn denigrate the life of others.

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan. 

Scripture:

Isaiah 8:23-9:3
1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
Matthew 4:12-23

Reflection:

There are a limited number of days I rank highest on my list of favorites.  December 23 is one of those.  It is the winter solstice, the day with the least amount of light for us in the northern hemisphere.  From this day on, the amount of light we experience each day begins to grow again until we reach mid-summer when light begins to dwindle again.  In 1982, I was on a retreat team who hosted a two week Institute for men and women of religious communities.  I spent a good deal of time with 33 year old Brother Jerry who was from Nome, Alaska.  His full time ministry was suicide prevention and accompanying families of those who succeeded in ending their lives.  The pressing concern was focused on the fact that Nome has six months without sunlight. The darkness became oppressive and magnified whatever personal problems many faced.  I couldn’t even imagine what that might be like.  It takes an entirely different attitude of mind and heart than we have down here in the continental USA.  I came to admire him greatly and continue to pray for him and all who live in those circumstances.

Our Sacred Scriptures for today focus our attention on the light arriving and dispelling the darkness.  Isaiah prophesied about it to a conquered people of Israel and promised that the light would dispel the darkness of oppression and hopelessness in their lives.  Matthew tells us that the arrival of Jesus and the beginning of His public ministry was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy.  With Jesus and His message of the kingdom, the light has arrived to dispel the darkness.  Paul focuses on one particular form of darkness – disunity and petty divisions within the fledgling faith community and tells them in no uncertain terms that Jesus had come to dispel the darkness of jealousy, elitism, and divisiveness and gathered all into the unity that only He is able to enlighten.

Just as we in the north experience the increased darkness of winter and Brother Jerry lived through the months of wearying shadows, so we too might find ourselves in darkness within, perhaps of our own making or a darkness with which we must deal from outside ourselves.  Those kind of shadows affect our hearts and minds through realities  like abiding anger and resentments, inability to forgive, pride and elitism, factionalism and intolerance of those different than ourselves, self centeredness that is only interested in our own benefit, choices to refuse to accompany others in need with care, concern and compassion.  We are each able to draw up our own list.  When we recognize one or another of these forms of darkness lurking around our lives, like the first disciples in today’s gospel, we are invited by Jesus to deeper followership.  We are reminded that Jesus rejected the darkness of abiding anger and revenge and brought the light of forgiveness and reconciliation.  He brought sinners out of darkness into the light of God’s grace and love.  He called outcasts out of the darkness of rejection into the light of faith community acceptance.  He brought the sick and wounded out of the darkness of pain into the light of healing and wellness.  He brought Zacchaeus out of self-centeredness and greed into the light of sharing.  He brought Martha and Mary out of the darkness of grief into the light of hope and life.  As Jesus brought light to all in the various circumstances of their lives, so we, as called disciples, are invited to be avid messengers of the light, of His light to all in our lives.  We are called to be  children of the light at all times dispelling any darkness within or outside ourselves which might prevent or hamper a closer walk with God for ourselves, our families, our fellow parishioners, co-workers and social circles.  Living in His light and with His light empowers us to live through the prolonged darkness of winter and the gloom of sunless months in the far north.  It empowers us to live in the Light amidst whatever darkness or shadow we might find ourselves dealing with and work to dispel it in His name.  We are commissioned disciples of the Light who is the Lord Jesus.  In Him and with Him and through Him, we can make a difference in the world.

Fr. Richard Burke, CP, is a member of St. Paul of the Cross Province.  He lives at St. Ann’s Monastery in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The Feast of St. Agnes

Scripture:

Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14
Mark 3:20-21

Reflection:

St. Agnes is the name of a popular 3^rd century saint.  She is esteemed because of the way she prevailed against seemingly overwhelming odds against her, thanks to her dependency on God to protect her.  In Latin there is a close similarity between her name, Agnes, and the Latin word for lamb: Agnus.  This likeness can be construed in two different ways: one favorably to her, the other unfavorably.  The best way to appreciate this difference is from the scriptures, especially the New Testament.  The unfavorable way would be the references by Jesus in the gospels, to the tendency of sheep to get lost.  Jesus likely noticed, in His travels by foot along the pathways throughout Galilee, the flocks of sheep feeding in the fields bordering His route, usually with a shepherd nearby, and likely now and then, the shepherd departing from the main body of sheep to bring back a sheep that had wandered off by itself, thereby exposing itself to attack by more violent animals than sheep are.  This observation gives rise to the surprisingly frequent references of Jesus to sheep, in His parables and stories.  There was something about this animal that lent itself to a major lesson Jesus wanted to impart to us: that many of us are like sheep, wandering away from the straight and narrow path that promises safety and protection.  And He, like a Good Shepherd, came to show us the way to His Father in heaven.

The church too was quick to note the pertinence of this tendency of sheep, as Jesus likely hoped it would.  And an instance of this is her desire to vividly describe the role of the bishop as the shepherd of the flock committed to his care by prescribing a special vestment for him (primarily an archbishop).  It was a special kind of stole called a pallium, bestowed, in memory of St. Agnes, on a bishop elevated by the Pope to the rank of archbishop.  And the pallium was made from the wool of a lamb.  And given the conjunction of Agnes, Agnus, and pallium, this ceremony often occurs on the Feastday of St. Agnes, January 21.  It was an apt description of the job of a new archbishop to exercise care and caution over the “flock” committed to his care.

There is one area, however, where the comparison of this thirteen year old girl with the term “lamb”, usually thought of as a helpless creature before the onslaught of fierce animals, was somewhat inaccurate.  St. Agnes was the furthest thing from being like a weak and lost animal.  Many a suitor sought her hand in marriage, young though she was (thirteen years of age), because of her attractiveness and beauty, but she turned down each of the several proposals made her.  This led to a cabal of angry young men, humiliated by her refusal of them, they in turn spitefully reported her to the Roman authorities, pointing to her Christian commitment as the reason for her rejection of their proposals.  This in turn led to her arrest and the pressure brought to bear on her to abjure her Christian faith, which she steadfastly refused to do.  And from this situation came torture inflicted on her, and then her decapitation.  She was no wilting wallflower, nor a weak and lost lamb.  And, in this role too, she serves as an admirable example for the newly vested archbishops, some of whom may, like her, be called to suffer for their defense of the faith.  Like Jesus in today’s gospel, Who could not turn away from those at His door seeking His help in their need, she seized the opportunity to help others, such as ourselves, by her example of steadfastness and determination at times of pressure.  In this she was more like a lioness than a lamb.  And so we pray:

-for the strength to abide by our faith convictions/for the newly installed leaders of our nation/for a growing movement toward church unity/for the newly vested archbishops throughout the world.

Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Hebrews 8:6-13
Mark 3:13-19

Reflection:

Our Scripture readings for today have led me to reflect on what it means to be church. Our reading from the letter to the Hebrews speaks about the new covenant we have in Jesus Christ. A covenant implies a relationship not only between God and individuals, but between God and a people, a community. In our Gospel reading, Jesus calls twelve disciples as Apostles. Why did Jesus call twelve? It’s clear that Jesus is making a parallel to the Twelve Tribes of Israel making up the Chosen People.

As a church, one of the ways we refer to ourselves is as the People of God. If we as a church were to see ourselves as a community of faith in mission, it would be a powerful witness to the world. Can we come together as a community, as a church? I don’t ask that question lightly. Just as it is in society, there are many things that can divide us even though we hold a common faith. Political and cultural differences seem to play themselves out in the church as much as they do in the broader society. But even apart from those considerations, there are also the all-too-human tendencies to turf wars and rivalries.

There are bound to be differences of opinion and even conflicts in any institution made up of human beings, and the Church is no exception. But we are called to something different when it comes to resolving conflicts. We are called to something different than one faction trying to eliminate or dominate the other. That is the way of the world. Rather, we are called to love each other as Christ loves us. Our proclamation of the Good News of Jesus’ love carries much more weight when people can see that love in the church.

Like the Twelve, we are called to preach by our lives the love of God in Jesus Christ! And when we come together and support each other in living out our faith, we can help cast out the demons of prejudice and fear and division. May the Good News shine through us together!

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P. is on staff at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan.