Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22
Luke 19:1-10

Reflection:

“Now there was a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, who was seeking to see who Jesus was…” 

Jesus, could we talk?  I find your meeting with Zacchaeus intriguing.   Luke says that you were passing through Jericho.  A man is sitting up in a sycamore tree to get a better view of you.  This certainly had to catch your attention.   Needless to say, this short fellow was looking for something, for someone.   You took him on.  You had to ask , first of all, what his name was.  “Zacchaeus, the tax collector.”  I am sure that he was surprised when you called him by name.  Even more surprisingly you asked to be invited over to his house.  Zacchaeus shimmied down the tree with great delight!  He came down quickly and received you with joy.

But almost immediately the picture grows dark.  The crowd standing around began to crumble at you.   How dare you, Jesus, go to the house of a sinner.  Oh, my!  Zacchaeus worked for the Romans, that group of pagans.  He was collecting monies for the Romans who had been attacked by your fellow Jews a long time ago.  The Romans won and then demanded some restitution of you Jews by way of taxes.  This has to be an ever irritating sore that this rascal  Zacchaeus  takes your money and receives a salary for doing so.

The crowd is not silent: “He eats with sinners.”   Well, Jesus, that’s what you get for not checking out your friends!  I love Zacchaeus’ reaction to the crowd.  He realizes what is bothering them.  He tells them, Jesus, that money isn’t everything.  “Half of all I own I give to the poor.” No strings attached.  And he adds that if he has defrauded anybody, he will give them back four times as much.  That promise was not an idle one.

Where does this leave the crowd, your disciples, me and those who are reading this?  You went right to the heart of the situation.  “Salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, like the rest of you is a descendant of Abraham.”    And what is more, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”  Salvation has played out in all of our lives.  Thank you for seeking and saving what was lost.  That applies to me, too.

Jesus, I know you.  You also know me.  I realize that our friendship has grown and will continue through the years that remain for me.  There have been personal up’s and down’s (not the Zacchaeus tree variety!) from time to time.  I’ve known both light and darkness, joy and sorrow, success and failure.  You’ve seen my tears of laughter as well as those of sorrow.  I’ve known what it is to walk by faith.  I’d like to borrow a line from St. Paul: “The life I now live I live in the faith of the Son of God who loves me and gave himself up for me.”   And I love you, too.

 

Fr. Peter Berendt, C.P., is a member of St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5
Luke 18:35-43

Reflection:

Our readings for this Monday are rather puzzling at first glance, yet appropriate for us as we draw more closely to the end of the liturgical year with the celebration of the feast of Christ the King.  In the selected passages from the Book of Revelation the faithful are at first praised and congratulated for their perseverance in the faith.  The author of Revelations declares to the people, “I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked; you have tested those who call themselves Apostles but are not, and discovered that they are impostors.  Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary.”  One would think that such a declaration was spoken by the Lord with a sense of admiration and a fair touch of pride, as well.  But then the writer continues, “Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.  Realize how far you have fallen.  Repent, and do the works you did at first.  Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”  One might wonder after hearing these words, “Well, is the Lord pleased or not?”  “Did we act faithfully or didn’t we?”  Kind of a mixed message if you ask me.

I remember one Sunday when I was home on vacation and my family all went to our parish church for Mass.  I had worked on my homily a fair amount (considering I was on vacation after all) and knowing that my father and mother would be in the pews, too.  Naturally I wanted them to be proud of their son “the priest.”  After Mass I went up to my father and said, “Well, Dad, what did you think of my homily?”  Now you must know something about my father: he is very Irish, the son of immigrant parents, who carried a lot of the “Irish ways” with him to be sure.  After my question about the homily he looked at me and simply answered, “Well, I’ve heard worse!”  “I’ve heard worse?”  Does that mean he liked it or didn’t?  Thankfully, knowing my father, I realized that this was the way he was giving his approval but not letting me carry the illusion that I couldn’t still do better.

Perhaps this is the message for us today.  The faithful have done well in the face of many difficulties and trials.  But, in the end, there remains that great challenge to continually return to the core grace of untainted love for the Lord, that moment when our hearts were most pure and fully alive.  Surely we all long to be able to achieve such a full and loving heart within us.  These days we are all aware of how the times challenge us to remain not simply “believers” but to be even more heroic in living our faith in spite of all the division that surrounds us.  How we desire, like the blind man in the Gospel, to see clearly, to live in God’s grace completely, and to have that untainted love first given so freely by the Lord.

Fr. Pat Brennan, C.P. is the director of Saint Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Malachi 3:19-20a
2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
Luke 21:5-19

Reflection:

With two weeks to go to the first Sunday in Advent our readings take an apocalyptic turn today. Predictions of end times, looking for signs, and tribulations abound—it is enough to have us closing our bibles and running for the exits. Except there is no escape; our invitation is to sit with these verses to “pan for gold” and find peace in our times.

Jesus begins by predicting that “there will not be left a stone upon a stone” (v. 6), this Temple which was rebuilt (again) and completed in 64 A.D. was considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the entire Roman Empire.  It truly seems inconceivable that this building could fall, yet, it happened and the people asked; is this the end?

Why do we look for signs? How does it help us to live in this day—this moment? God is found only in the present, we risk missing him if our eyes are fixed beyond the now. If we are honest, thoughts of “end times” (suffering) in our lives or the lives of our loved ones only feed our fears.

The first reading from Malachi, an anonymous prophet, who writes following the completion of the first rebuilding of the Temple is concerned with careless religious ritual matters among other things and warns of the coming destruction. In both readings, the text ends with hope and comfort. Malachi: “But for those who fear my name, there will arise, the sun of justice with its healing rays.” (V.20) and from Luke: …but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” (V.19)

What comes through clearly to me is the sense of misplaced security. We simply put too much store in earthly things, whether it is a building, a ship named Titanic, or a human person(s) running for election.  Luke’s whole theology suggests redemption mediated through Christ’s life as he writes to Christians facing persecution for their professed faith in Jesus. They experience danger from all sides. This is still true today for many of our Christian brothers and sisters.

Only Christ can truly save us. We follow where he went, not in fear and trembling but in the Old Testament sense of “fear of the Lord” awesomeness in His presence. We follow him not just to the cross but through the cross to new life. Our story doesn’t end on Calvary but sometimes our fears have us stuck there. We can name our fears and place them at the foot of the Cross for Grace to bless them. Who knows what the future holds but I am placing my trust in the Holy Spirit to renew us all, to give us hope and peace. Let us persevere in faith through those tribulations in our lives and look with confidence to the future whatever the signs predict.

“Rouse yourself to cheerfulness in the Lord. Every trial will pass. Enter into the heart of Jesus in spirit, into that great furnace of love, and trust him.” St. Paul of the Cross

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

Scripture:

3 John 5-8
Luke 18:1-8

Reflection:

There are many forms of prayer: praise, thanksgiving, and petition. Jesus begins this teaching by speaking about prayer in general. He says it should have two qualities. First we should “pray always”. For St. Paul of the Cross this means we must cultivate a deep interiority. Paul was a man of action. He founded thirteen monasteries, preached over two hundred missions, directed eighty retreats, and wrote about 10,000 letters of spiritual direction. But the foundation of all this work was his union with God. He valued solitude, quiet, silence, and spent hours each day in prayer. We could say that he walked in the presence of God.  We need to cultivate a like interiority in our own lives. Achieving it is a challenge. Jesus recognizes this by making a second point. He notes that we should pray “without becoming weary”. What does he mean?  Maybe the Revised Standard Version catches the meaning more clearly when it translates the Greek as “pray and not lose heart”.  At times it seems that our prayer is not getting us anywhere. The same old stuff comes up when we prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. What’s the use? The temptation to give up prayer or let it slip is subtle, almost not a conscious decision. Paul of the Cross had to face this often in the people he directed. Again and again he encourages them to be faithful to prayer. If they can do nothing else they should just gaze at the crucifix, the sign of God’s overwhelming love.

 

Fr. Michael Hoolahan, C.P. is on the staff of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Philemon 7-20
Luke 17:20-25

Reflection:

Last winter my 84-year-old Uncle Joe was diagnosed with inoperable stage IV lung cancer and given a prognosis of a few months to live. Although doctors said they could try a last-ditch chemotherapy regimen that might extend it a bit, Joe chose to live the remainder of his time with as much quality of life as he could achieve. He gathered his children, shared stories and memories, and decided who would receive what after their dad died. Joe wrote letters to friends, forgave foes, and got his affairs in order.  He did all the things that were important, talked to all the people he loved, and wrapped it all up with a bow. But it won’t stay wrapped.

Against all odds, Joe has continued to live. He is in hospice and is clearly ill, but he is not in pain, he can still go out for very short excursions, and the end is not as imminent as he thought. Interestingly, he expressed some anger about the fact that things weren’t going as planned. He is also confused, because he doesn’t know how to live his life when he has no clue how long it may go on now.

Jesus tells us that no one knows the time or the day, whether of the end of the world or the ends of our own lives. Countless people point to “signs” that say it is imminent, but day after predicted day has passed without incident. (Remember Y2K?)  The truth is that we are not in control and we don’t know.

There are many people pushing now to grasp that control. They want assisted suicide, where they can legally decide the trajectory of the end of their lives, put their death date on a calendar, and ensure that they place the final bow on top of the wrapping themselves at a time of their choosing. There is even a movement in the Netherlands to legally assist healthy people to take their own lives if they decide they’ve lived long and well enough and are ready to go.

According to research, most of these decisions are rooted in fear. People are afraid of pain, afraid of “losing dignity” or being a burden to their families, afraid of being weak and out of control, afraid of the dying process. What if instead of passing laws that make it easy and convenient to circumvent the natural course of life and death, we worked to eradicate fear. Imagine if we:

• Educate everyone, young and old, about the dying process, what it is like, and how sacred it can be so it is normalized, talked about, and not a scary unknown.
• Make effective palliative care available to every dying person, so no one has to die in pain.
• Emphasize the inherent and inalienable dignity of every person as a precious child of God who deserves the best of care, even (or especially) if they are disabled, unproductive, feeble, demented, dependent on others, or nearing death.
• Form even young children to know that it is OK to not be in control, that all “control” is an illusion anyway and grasping for it hurts us in more ways than we know.
• Teach what constitutes true strength – being able to face the suffering of life, standing firm in core beliefs despite adversity, allowing and expressing painful emotions, companioning people who are ill, grieving, or dying, and having the courage to be vulnerable and needy when it is our time to be ill, grieving, or dying.
• Advocate for more comprehensive and affordable services for those who are homebound, or seriously or terminally ill, so the size of one’s bank account doesn’t dictate whether a person is a financial burden to the family.
• Become a role model for our children by regularly volunteering to bring food, sit with a dying person so the family can have an afternoon off, run errands or do chores for families with ill members, attend funerals and services to expose them to death while teaching them how to be comforting, and talk about what a privilege it is to care for those who need it.

I could go on with suggestions. Perhaps you have some of your own as well. But the idea is the same: Let’s live the faith we profess by working to cast out fear, surrender control, embrace the experiences of our lives whether good or bad, and support the dignity and value of every person we touch. If we could do all of these things, perhaps we could begin to counter the push for assisted suicide. I believe that as disciples of Christ, we must try.

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:

Titus 2:1-8, 11-14
Luke 17:7-10,

Reflection:

I have revulsion to hospitals.  It’s the smell, the wheelchairs, the nurses’ green outfits, the medicines and moans.  Even the flowers and balloons in the gift shop seem sickly and artificially happy.  I know, of course, that hospitals are places where the sick are made healthy, where new life takes place, where hope abides.  Nevertheless, I dread hospitals.

Perhaps that is why my wife recommended that I take a year off from retreat ministry and join her in hospital ministry.  Anxious though I felt, I agreed.  I contacted a fellow deacon, a chaplain at a local hospital.  He agreed to let us follow along in his daily routine.  Throughout the year, we prayed with the very old who knew they were dying.  We heard to the cries of the very young who didn’t understand pain and simply wanted to go home.  We heard the loudspeaker calling out emergency in room 23a.  We gave communion to those who needed nourishment beyond that of hospital food.  As much as we may have blessed the sick, they blessed us by their patience and hope and courage.

By the year’s end, however, I admit I felt relieved.  My year of hospital ministry was over.  I must admit, too, that I felt virtuous and rather proud of myself.

Today’s gospel is almost rude in its bluntness for those, like myself, who may harbor heroic self-opinions.  Jesus’ words are cold water splashed in my face.  Snap out of it.  I was doing only that which I was expected to do: to serve others – without regard to whether I disliked it or enjoyed it, whether I found enrichment or not.  I ministered to the hospital sick because that’s where I was needed.  Period.

We all are called to serve one another, even when we don’t feel like it.  It’s never a matter of feeling.  It’s a matter of calling.

And after we have done what is commanded of us, our evening prayer should be one of humble gratitude:  “We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what we were obliged to do.”

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

Scripture:

Titus 1:1-9
Luke 17:1-6

Reflection:

The other day I got up to exit the “el” train I was taking to go to lunch and while standing at the door waiting for it to open I caught the eye of a little boy about three feet tall standing with his mother (I presume) who was pushing his little sister (I guess) in a stroller. They were also getting off. The little boy stuck up his hand and called out to me, “Give me five!” I gave him five and then as we began exiting, he grabbed my hand commanding: “Hold my hand.” I obliged. We got off the train holding hands and only let go when his mother and sister headed for the elevator—I was taking the stairs, which were right by the train door we just exited. The little boy and I waved good-bye as he, his mother and sister headed towards the elevator. Walking down the stairs, it dawned on me, I had just experienced about the closest thing to perfection that exists, the trust and openness of a little child

In today’s first reading, St. Paul challenges Titus to find what seem to me to be perfect leaders for the infant community at Crete. They were to be:

“…blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled…” Titus 1:7-8

No small task for Titus or for anyone seeking leaders I suppose. Too bad we can’t get that little boy whose innocence and trust contagiously invaded the “el” platform that morning. Yes, sure, his mother might be able to tell us a little more about her precious but probably not perfect, son, but I believe I experienced a bit of perfection. I hope as he grows he doesn’t lose that bit of perfection and chooses to lead.

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

Scripture:

2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14
2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5
Luke 20:27-38

Reflection:

In Sunday’s Gospel reading (Luke 20:27-38), it is the Sadducees’ (those who didn’t believe in resurrection) turn to try to trip up Jesus, and so they give Him this extreme hypothetical about a woman who winds up marrying seven brothers (not all at once!) according to Mosaic law, and asking Him whose wife would she be in heaven. Jesus basically rejects their whole premise by stating that “those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels.” And then Jesus speaks to them about a belief in resurrection coming from Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush (See Exodus 3): “That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out ‘Lord,’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

This past week, we celebrated the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls, and we have another reminder of our belief that not even death can cut us off from neither God nor our loved ones. But Jesus’ declaration of faith in the resurrection pertains not only to the life after this, but to the life we live now. Does it have anything to do with how we live our lives if we believe God is God of the living and not the dead?

We may all respond to that question in the affirmative, but what impact does it have to believe in God as God of the living? For me, our faith leads us to be oriented toward life. It orients us toward thanksgiving. It orients us toward hope. And it sustains us in love. Our second reading from 2 Thessalonians (2:16-3:5) speaks to this. St. Paul, in the beginning of our reading, writes, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.” Paul gives thanks for what God has already given (encouragement and hope and grace), and prays that his brother and sister Christians are encouraged and strengthened in good deeds and words.

May our deeds and words promote life! May we work not only with women considering ending their pregnancies, but also advocate for those whose lives have been degraded by poverty and oppression and injustice. May we work for an end to war and violence. May we care for the environment in which all life exists. In the words of our second reading, may the word of the Lord “speed forward” through us, so that people may know the generosity and love of God in Jesus Christ, who cherishes their lives and the lives of all.

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