Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Luke 10:17-24

Reflection:

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the news media was interviewing a woman in North Carolina whose house was flooded by the torrential rains.  She looked at the interviewer and said, “I feel so blessed.  It could have been so much worse.”  Two months ago, I got on a CTA bus. I asked the driver how he was doing today and he said, “Blessed!   I’m very blessed.”  In another instance, I recall the single word a retreatant in the AA program would always call herself, “blessed.”   I’m curious, what causes some people to see their lives as truly blessed, while others see deficiency, or even a lack of meaning in their lives?  While I honestly don’t know what struggles or tragedies were in the personal lives of any of these three people, I know they were quick to publicly tell others that they feel blessed.  And blessedness for them wasn’t about reaching financial security, achieving their personal goals, or finding a place in life where there was no struggle.  Blessedness wasn’t a place in the future they hoped to attain, rather it was right here, and right now.  In this present moment, at this present time, in this present place, they knew they were blessed.   

I reflect on this today as we hear these readings.  Job is one who had such favor with God at the beginning of the story. Yet, as the narrative unfolds, he is quite perplexed as to why he ends up loosing it all.  Still, Job always holds onto his reverence and respect for God’s goodness and holiness.  Today’s first reading we hear from the end of the book of Job.  Job is never given an explanation.  He truly knows that there are things beyond his understanding, “things too wonderful for me, which I can not know.”  And then he regains even more cattle, sheep, camels and oxen than he originally had. While some may only focus on the surface that he is blessed because of his material possessions, the author is quick to add that Job is gifted with a long life filled with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  He is indeed blessed. And the entire story is that the blessedness is gifted to him because of his faithfulness.   

This is followed by Luke’s Gospel account of the return of the seventy-two.  Recall at the beginning of chapter 10 the seventy-two are sent out into every town and village he intended to visit.  They are to cure the sick in each village and announce that the Kingdom of God is at hand.  Today’s Gospel has them returning with exultant excitement and praise.  Jesus addresses the disciples in private by stressing their blessedness.  “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.”  They are blessed because they faithfully completed the mission for which they were sent.  They were not only firsthand witnesses of the Kingdom of God, they were also blessed by personally conversing and having a relationship with the messiah, the chosen one.  How people through human history longed for this. 

Job was blessed.  Indeed, the disciples are blessed.  You and I are very blessed. 

Blessedness in the biblical tradition isn’t on self-reliance, or material possessions, Instead, it is based on a rich understanding of being the recipient of God’s favor.  It isn’t something a person earns nor accomplishes.  We are blessed because of what God has done, and we have some kind of awareness of the magnificence and grandness of the act. God, who has created us and will eternally love us, sustains us in every aspect of our lives.  When we truly know this in the core of our being, we carry within us a unique freedom and joy.  We realize our security doesn’t come from what we cling to.   Our joy comes from knowing how deeply we are cared for by our Heavenly Father. Knowing this in our hearts, awakens us to a healthy sense of our blessedness. 

Today we need to spend some time with our blessedness.  Know how blessed you are. 

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province. He resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi

Scripture:

Job 38: 1, 12-21; 40:3-5
Luke 10:13-16

Reflection:

Witnessing God’s Loving Presence

Jesus confronted the reality of evil and selfishness with his message of life and love.  Some have received his message with an open heart; others have turned away in a spirit of denial.  Today’s Gospel selection from Luke 10 shares Jesus’ cries of “woe” and challenge to those who remained hard-hearted and closed to his message of Love and Life.  Contrasting is the message of today’s first reading from the Book of Job wherein the Lord addressed Job in his distress and tried to put a new perspective on his troubles:  God’s love is powerful and creative, helping us to prosper in life’s every opportunity and challenge…   It’s ours to be humble and open to the saving power of God!  God’s love is real!!

Today we celebrate the life of a 12^th Century saint who was called to help bring about a renewal in the Church through the personal witness of his life, his “spirit.”  Francis of Assisi heard the personal call of Jesus and gave himself wholeheartedly to Jesus in a life both simple and extraordinary…leading him to praise, sacrifice and service.

The Scriptures came alive for Francis of Assisi.  His carefree youth was radically changed by the call of Jesus; he renounced his personal possessions and redirected his life to evangelical poverty and preaching.  Francis’ life witness was charismatic, compassionate, and loving of all God’s creation.  God used Francis to call others to lives of radical discipleship – and so many responded that Francis compiled a “rule of life” and founded numerous religious communities of women and men.  He lived but 44 short years, sharing the joy of those early disciples of Jesus, sparking a spiritual renewal that continues to inspire men and women today – especially as witnessed by our own Pope Francis!  “Rebuild my church…”…then and now!

Today Jesus and Job and Francis of Assisi challenge us to generously promote the Kingdom of God.  Our world is challenged by violence, selfishness, poverty and hunger, hopelessness, injustice, racism, etc.  We are challenged to be faith-filled disciples…to respect God’s presence in all people, in nature and all created things…especially the daily events of life.  Simplicity and humility are to be virtues of 21^st Century disciples, witnessing the ongoing mercy and compassion which are the heart of God. 

The Collect Prayer of today’s feast day Eucharist prays:  “…Saint Francis was conformed to Christ in poverty and humility; grant that, by walking in Francis’ footsteps, we may follow your Son, and, through joyful charity come to be united with you….”  Like Francis, may we be channels of God’s peace!

Fr. John Schork, C.P. serves as the Province Vocation Director and also as Local Superior of the Passionist Community of Holy Name in Houston, Texas.  

Scripture:

Job 19:21-27
Luke 10:1-12

Reflection:

In past times (perhaps 50 years ago), in Sydney’s Domain Gardens of any Sunday there were advocates of all sorts of viewpoints delivering speeches to any of the public who cared to stop and listen. The speakers were called ‘Soapbox Orators’. (The title derives from the fact that they brought with them a ‘box’ or some such means to elevate themselves and be seen by their audience.)

This practice was a feature of the pre-mass media world and reflected a time when public oratory was akin to today’s ‘podcasts’. Like today, people ‘tuned in’ to certain “influencers” who achieved this by personal presence in the gardens rather than virtually. People enjoyed the spectacle and came to the gardens to listen to the speakers extolling the virtues of their particular perspective on life.

 A humorous feature was the interjections and the responses of those in the audience who ridiculed the speaker’s perspective, or who argued solidly against the view being espoused by the speaker. 

Among the ‘soapbox orators,’ there was usually a representative of the official Communist Party. It is said that any new and enthusiastic recruit to the Communist Party was intentionally allocated a slot in the gardens – and as the audience usually contained well-educated members of the public who were vitriolic in their opposition to communist philosophy –  the poor novice proponent of communism was often embarrassed and left unable to argue back against solid and logical opposition. As intended, this resulted in the novice communist studying Marxist theory with much more energy and diligence in the weeks after the disastrous debut!  

It is a hard lesson but one that illustrates that one should not go forth on a mission until one is well equipped to do so.

Thus, coming to the gospel scene today we see ‘novices’ being sent out to face the world. We might imagine the 72 disciples setting out nervously and yet enthusiastically to proclaim the good news of the kingdom or reign of God.

Did they, too, meet a well-rehearsed and practiced opposition? Perhaps! However, they went with the confidence and support of Jesus who entrusted his precious message – the good news – to them. They went not as scholars but as witnesses. They were to influence by actions not words and this made all the difference. 

Likewise, we are entrusted with Spreading Jesus’ message. Perhaps we not as eloquent as those soapbox orators – but then we are not sent to espouse a theory or a philosophy. Rather, we like the 72, are sent as witnesses and our actions and presence speak far louder than mere wordy arguments. 

A person is rarely led to meet Jesus by logic, but rather by example and personal accompaniment. 

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is the Provincial Superior of Holy Spirit Province, Australia. 

Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

Scripture:

Job 9:1-12, 14-16
Matthew 18:1-5, 10

Reflection:

How great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from birth an angel commissioned to guard it.  ~ St. Jerome

Today’s Gospel reading begins with the disciples asking Jesus about who is the greatest.

This question is so foreign to the mind of Jesus! So, He calls a child over to Him and sits the child among the disciples. And he says: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” ~Mt.18:3-4

The word “humble” is related to the Latin word humus, which means “earth”. Humbled by suffering and loss, Job came to understand himself as Earth creature, in relation to the Creator. In today’s first reading he is in awe of God who “does things great and unsearchable, things marvelous and innumerable.” ~Job 9:10

When we are humble, we stand in awe before the powers of the Universe, and the mysteries of life. We experience our vulnerability and our need for God, and we look for guidance. We welcome assistance from companions along the journey, like angels!

In today’s Gospel, Jesus explains that children have angels to guide and guard them. Our angels guide us so well, because they know our destination—their eyes are on us, and their eyes are also on God. As Jesus says, they “always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” ~Mt.18:10

In a homily for the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, Pope Francis explains the role of angels in our lives:

Our angel is not only with us; he also sees God the Father. He is in relationship with Him. He is the daily bridge; from the moment we arise to the moment we go to bed. He accompanies us and is a link between us and God the Father. The angel is the daily gateway to transcendence, to the encounter with the Father: that is, the angel helps me to go forward because he looks upon the Father, and he knows the way. Let us not forget these companions along the journey.

Patty Gillis is a retired Pastoral Minister. She serves on the Board of Directors at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroi, Michigant. Patty is currently a member of the Laudato Si Vision Fulfillment Team and the Passionist Solidarity Network.

Scripture:

Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23
Luke 9: 51-56

Reflection:

Today the church celebrates the memorial of St. Therese of Lisieux, but the first reading and responsorial psalm can hardly be described as celebratory. Job recently lost all his possessions and suffers from painful sores all over his body. He wonders why he did not die at birth. You can feel his emotional and physical pain. The psalmist echoes Job’s despair, that the Lord has rejected his pleas and hidden his face. You have plunged me into the bottom of the pit, into the dark abyss.

St. Therese, who was blessed with a deep spirituality and love for God, was tormented during the later years of her short life with doubts of the existence of eternity. “[God] allowed my soul to be overwhelmed with darkness, and the thought of Heaven, which had consoled me from my earliest childhood, now became a subject of conflict and torture.” (Story of a Soul)

The fictional Job and the real-life St. Therese discovered, despite their doubts, that God was present throughout their suffering. Job seriously questioned God but never cursed Him. Therese never gave up on her prayer life even in her darkest times.

We may experience our own spiritual or mental crisis, but God never abandons us at challenging times in our life. Dr. Jessica Coblentz speaks of meeting God in the wilderness in times of personal crises, especially mental illness. At that time, it may be difficult to recognize God is walking along with us. We should be open to finding professional assistance, especially when prayer is most difficult, or God seems so distant. Whether we meet with a spiritual director or a professional counselor, these support systems may be exactly the gifts we need to navigate these very difficult personal challenges.

May we be open to encountering God in the wilderness of our lives.

Mike Owens is coordinator of the Passionist Alumni Association and a member of the Migration Commission of Holy Cross Province. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Scripture:

Job 1:6-22
Luke 9:46-50

Reflection:

If ever there was a person who had the right to complain to God, it was Job. The story of this upright and faithful man who lost all of it at the hand of the Evil One easily shocks us. Wasn’t it horribly unfair of God to let catastrophe befall Job?

We can say the same of Jesus, can’t we? Why did he suffer as he did?

Suffering and Justice are eternal mysteries that saints and scholars have wrestled with for millennia. There is, of course, no answer. There is only faith, remaining steadfast in knowing that we are the beloved of God. And when we are confronted by suffering and injustice, we might find some peace in praying the Anima Christi:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from you.
From the wicked foe, defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me
and bid me come to you
That with your saints I may praise you
For ever and ever. Amen.

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:

Numbers 11:25-29
James 5:1-6
Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Reflection:

As I was reflecting on this Sunday’s readings, the thought came to me, “By their fruits you shall know them.” In our first reading (Numbers 11:25-29), and in our Gospel reading (Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48), this is a positive statement. In our first reading, God takes some of the spirit that was given to Moses, and bestows it upon seventy elders. Two who were meant to be at the gathering to receive this spirit, Eldad and Medad, weren’t there. But they received the spirit anyway – What God wants God gets done. But someone sees Eldad and Medad prophesying, reports it to Joshua, who then reports it to Moses, and tells Moses that he should stop them – they weren’t at the meeting! But Moses replies, “Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets! Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all!” Even though Eldad and Medad were not at the official gathering, God saw fit to bestow His spirit on them, and by the fruits of their prophesying, they testified to God’s goodness.

A similar thing occurs in our Gospel reading. The apostle John tells Jesus that he and the other disciples saw someone driving out demons in Jesus’ name, and they tried to “prevent him because he does not follow us.” Like Moses, Jesus replies, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a might deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” I don’t know if this startled John or not, but it shouldn’t have. Think about it. What John and the others were trying to do in preventing this person from doing good, was the exact same thing the Pharisees were trying to do, going against Jesus! They tried to prevent Him from doing things because He was not one of them.

It seems to me that people of good faith, no matter what system of belief they have, or even if they have no belief in a Higher Power at all, can come together and try to make the world a better place. That is a “good fruit” worth working for. We believers would see it as following Jesus’ command to love and helping build up the kingdom. Others would probably see it differently, but the world would be better with the efforts made.

In our second reading from James (5:1-6), we have the opposite side of the coin. James tells those who are rich because they have withheld wages from their workers that God hears the cries of those who have been exploited, not the prayers of the unjust rich. Being rich in itself does not indicate God’s favor. It is by our fruits with regards to others that we shall be known and be judged.

How can we best obey Jesus’ command to love? By doing good for others, working for justice, avoiding sin, and avoiding leading others to sin. Jesus says, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin [an example for me would be fomenting fear and hate], it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

May the depth of our convictions lead us not to sin, but to “good fruit.”

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

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8
Luke 9:43b-45

Reflection:

In every age, O God, you have been our refuge.  Psalm 90

Refuge has many meanings. When used as a noun, its various meanings include asylum, harbor, haven, sanctuary and shelter. When used as a verb, to offer refuge is to offer a safe haven, provide shelter or harborage. Our parish is preparing to welcome its 10^th refugee family to our city. The refugee ministry began over 10 years ago as we became more aware of the need to provide a safe haven to those fleeing from countries besieged by war, famine and violence of all sorts.

Psalm 90 is attributed to Moses and is likely the oldest psalm in the collection of psalms. It was written during Israel’s wandering in the desert. The Israelites were looking for a safe haven, a place of respite from their never-ending journey. God had mercy and compassion on this people whom he loved.

God provides a time and place of refuge for each of us through his great love and mercy. God calls us to do likewise. May we respond with love and courage in offering a safe haven to our sisters and brothers who are suffering in our midst. How are we offering sanctuary to those who flee from violence on our streets. Many people suffer daily from the effects of storms, fires and other natural disasters.  Can we offer shelter and security during this time of crisis.  We look forward to welcoming our refugee family in the weeks ahead. Is this something your parish or community could do to step up to the plate and show God’s love and mercy. 

May we remember often the words of the psalmist in today’s reading.

                In every age, O God, you have been our refuge. 

 Thanks be to God!

Theresa Secord is a retired Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.