Daily Scripture

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:17-25
Matthew 25:1-13

Reflection:

Crossing the 50 year threshold is a milestone many of us dread but often mark with a trip or party. Half a century of life sounds like a long time. Not all that long ago, and still in parts of the world today getting to 50 was no small feat.

I write these reflections for the 26^th of each month, and once a year I am given the opportunity to think about my brother who never made it to 50. Not by a longshot. Killed when he was just 22, today he would have turned 50 years old. We have no idea what he might look like at 50, what his career might have been or what family he might have had.

And for us, his family and friends, we have no idea what our lives might look like if he had not died. What decisions about living did his dying force us to make? How does the kindness shown us then, especially our parents, help us be kind to others today? Lots of things were set in motion that July night in 1989.

Today’s selection from Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians could not be more Passionist. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Paul continues to argue that our own understanding of wisdom is set aside by Jesus, the Wisdom of God. How can life come from death, healing through brokenness?

When my brother died, many asked “why.” It is a natural question, for sure. But it leads nowhere. The question seeks a rational answer where there is none. It was an irrational act by those who killed him. No, the question that I ask today – as a way to celebrate his 50 birthday – is “what now?” What wisdom does Christ offer me today that will help me know that life really can come through death?

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:

1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Matthew 24:42-51

Reflection:

If someone were to ask you to name a couple of the books that have had a major impact on your life, what would the titles be?  My list would have to include Gerard Broccolo’s, Vital Spiritualties: Naming the Holy in Your Life. Early on, the author makes a distinction between the ideal and real schools of spirituality.

The ideal school has the spotlight on me, and seems to continually ask, “How am I doing?” With the focus being the perfection of the Gospel, my task is to always try to live up to that ideal. So, in this school, I expend a good bit of energy giving myself a report card on performance or behavior, and repeatedly taking my moral temperature.

The real school, on the other hand, is focused not on me — and how am I doing? It is focused on God. And what is God doing?  My task is not to perpetually be evaluating my performance, taking my moral temperature or giving myself a report card. In fact, the focus isn’t even on me. The task is simply to pay attention. As we hear in today’s Gospel, our task is to “stay awake,” …so we don’t miss God.

In an allusion to the story in Exodus 3 (of Moses hearing God speaking to him out of a burning bush), British poet, Elizabeth Barret Browning, pens these words, (Book Seven of Aurora Leigh):

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries…

Sometimes we get so strung out with overwork, so anxious with the nitty-gritty, or so bloated with comfort and convenience, we seem to miss God. We miss the grandeur of creation, the beauty of nature. Maybe the task isn’t always to do more… more effort, more prayers, more discipline. May we are simply being called to “stay awake.” To smell the roses.

I will praise your name for ever, Lord!

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

Scripture:

Revelation 21:9b-14
John 1:45-51

 

Reflection:

Finding Jesus

Today’s Gospel relates the excitement of the Apostle Philip who found Jesus and shares the good news with Nathanael; “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” John 1:45      Nathanael is skeptical at such an incredible find: “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

The biggest and most critical search of our lives is the search for Christ.   “Our relationship with Jesus is the primary thing of our lives, all else is secondary.” Pope Francis. Until our lives are grounded in Christ they are built on hazardous foundations.  We cling to someone, Jesus and not just something.

The good news is that our seeking of Jesus is superseded by His seeking of us.  Christ is a million times more interested seeking us than we are in seeking Him!   Even in Hebrew SS about 600 years before Christ we find this beautiful seeking of God for His people.  “He found him in a desert land, And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.”   Deuteronomy 32:10

We find many instances in New Testament of Jesus’ unrelenting search for us.  “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 He said these words about a man thrown out of the temple and excluded from witnessing in court.   He was a tax collector rejected by the people.  Jesus is the “good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep”.^. John 10:11  “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?^. Luke 15:4

Jesus has a passionate desire to seek us out.   We should never underestimate the force of Christ’s zeal for others when we are in ministry. There is a strong fellowship with Jesus who is behind us as we try to touch the lives of others with the Gospel!   Luke reminds us how Jesus was criticized: “Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:2  The Greek word for welcome (prosdechomai) is a high energy word.  It means an open armed reception for sinners with an attitude!

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

 

Scripture:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17
Matthew 23:23-26

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus has some harsh words for the scribes and Pharisees who are supposed to be leading the people in their relationship with God. Jesus calls them “frauds” because they were so consumed by the minutiae of the Mosaic Law that they neglected the “weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and good faith.” In other words, they neglected the things that could really help people in their relationship with God and with each other.

There are a few things that come to mind as we reflect on Jesus’ admonishment to the scribes and the Pharisees. One is the reminder to resist the temptation to focus on the shortcomings of the scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus’ words are meant as a caution to us! So often we can be tempted to focus on the small stuff as a way to demonstrate our superiority over others, or as a way to avoid the real issues with which we need to grapple. There are so many challenges facing people today, and we need to explore ways to help them live their lives with integrity as we strive to do the same.

Another thing is to reflect on what Jesus means by being “frauds.” Jesus is not saying “Woe” to them because they fell short of perfection. We all do. If I am judged as being a fraud or a hypocrite because I haven’t perfectly followed Jesus, then, yes, I admit to being a fraud. But I don’t think falling short constitutes being a fraud. Jesus says “Woe” to the scribes and the Pharisees because they were so quick to condemn others for falling short.

Recognizing our own weaknesses and sins, we can’t condemn others for not being perfect. Instead, may we turn to God, who, in the words of our first reading from 2 Thessalonians, “loved us and in his mercy gave us eternal consolation and hope.” And may God console our “hearts and strengthen them for every good work and word.”

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

Memorial of the Queenship of Mary

Scripture:

Isaiah 9:1-6
Luke 1:1-28

Reflection:

We have a rich tradition dealing with the concept of light.  We have sayings and concepts in abundance speaking of the importance and place of light in our lives.  “Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”  “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.”  The light shows called fireworks celebrate all of the joyous moments of life.  Thomas Kincaid is called the ‘painter of light’ and his artwork highlights the beauty and importance of light in our world.  The voice of a hotel chain echoes through the night, “We’ll leave the light on for you!”  Our pilgrim ancestors in Massachusetts often talked about the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a ‘Light on the Hill’ for the world to see.  Following along with that image of a light on the hilltop, we continuously marvel at the beauty of our array of lighthouses along our coasts which guided ships safely through our coastal waters.  There are always the scriptures, too.  Genesis says, “Let there be light – and there was light” while the Gospel reminds us,  “A person does not light a lamp and put it under a bushel, rather he places it on a stand so that it gives light to all in the house.”

As we celebrate the Queenship of Mary, we look at our scriptures for the day to discover something of the idea of Mary’s reign as Queen of Heaven and Earth.  As we read Isaiah, we might be tempted to say to ourselves, ‘If you have it, play it.’  No, not the lottery or the Power Ball, but Handel’s Messiah and more specifically “For Unto Us a Child is Born.”  This is the passage Handel put to music in this portion of the Messiah.  The introductory image is what?  That’s right – light.  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.  In a land of doom and gloom, a light has shone.  The light brings joy, happiness and rejoicing of immeasurable magnitude.  Isaiah is proclaiming the promise God made from the time of Adam and Eve to send a Savior to redeem humankind.  Until this Chosen One arrives, people will live in darkness yearning for the light.  The light, when He arrives, will make all things visible, all things clear.  All will be able to see the entire world, its people and their purpose in a new way, in a new light which will give birth to joy instead of gloom, hope instead of doom, freedom instead of shackles, and promise instead of dead ends.

The prophecy ends with, “The Lord of Hosts will do this!”  When will He do this?  St. Luke announces the good news in the amazing moment of the Annunciation.  The handmaiden Mary consents to be the Mother of God.  Suddenly, dawn is breaking.  The light is coming into the world.  Our Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, and Prince of Peace will bring the light that lasts forever.  He will open our minds and hearts to the brilliance of the glory of God.  We will see our God and each other in the light of Christ and nothing will ever be the same.

Those simple words, “Let it be done unto me according to your word”, made all of this possible.  Was it Mary’s humility that clothed her in regal splendor?  Perhaps it was her willingness to listen to the Lord’s voice through Gabriel or perhaps her abiding faith in God’s will for her life that was the key.  Maybe it was Mary’s trust that God would direct her every moment that lifted her up past the questions and hesitations.  Then again, it might well have been her generous spirit in giving birth to the Light of the World or her ever deepening love of the Lord that earned her crown of queenship.

In reality, the only answer can be that it was all of the above and then some.  These marvelous attributes of Mary join together to move God to place Mary among us and with us and all the Saints as our Queen of heaven and earth.  Her very character in the gospels reveals to us that this is not a lofty and distant royal woman but rather one who stands with us as our Mother and for us as our Intercessor as we gather before the throne of the Lord God.  As such, Mary our queen is a true gift to us.

We are invited to be faithful companions to Mary our Queen who follow her Son and seek to let our light shine before all so all may see the good that we do and give glory to God.

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

Feast of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

Scripture:

Ezekiel 43: 1-7a
Matthew 23: 1-12

Reflection:

Some people are just worth remembering.  They live their lives in such a way that their peers, both friends and foes, respect them.  As a result, they have a profound influence on the very best that emerges in their time.  We celebrate the feast of such a remarkable man today, St. Bernard of Clairvaux.  He lived in the 12^th century (born in 1090 and died in 1153), a time of great turmoil in the Church and in society.

He was born into one of the noble families in Burgundy, France.  He had a great future before him in the society of his day but chose instead to give his life to God.  Against his family’s wishes, he rejected the ambitious plans they had for him and, instead, followed his heart and at age 23 entered one of the most austere religious orders in the Church, the Cistercians.  He was already so influential among his peers, he brought a total of 30 young nobles (among whom were several of his brothers) with him into religious life.  Even at the early age of 23, he was a man of prayer and his prayer life deepened quickly under the guidance of the Abbot of Citeaux, St. Stephen Harding.  Though the Cistercians lived a very austere life, they were growing so rapidly at that time that just two years after he entered, he and fifteen other companions were sent out to found another abbey.  Bernard was elected the first abbot of this new abbey located in the Clair Valley.  He remained Abbot of Clairvaux until his death in 1153

As abbot, Bernard emphasized three important spiritual disciplines:  an austere and simple form of life, lectio divina and personal prayer, and finally, a deep personal devotion to Our Blessed Mother.  His Abbey flourished and Bernard founded three additional abbeys with the monks from Clairvaux.

But it wasn’t just within the confines of the Cistercians that Bernard exerted enormous influence.  He participated in several Church Councils, brought unity to the Papacy (persuaded most of the secular rulers to accept Innocent II over Anacletus II), and overcame several heresies that were rampant during his time.   In short, Bernard became one of the most significant religious figures of 12th century.

As you remember St. Bernard today, I hope you have a chance to read more about his life.  He is a true example of a faithful disciple of Jesus who uses all his considerable gifts to build up the Kingdom of God.  We thank God for this remarkable man and ask for the grace to live our lives in a way that builds the Kingdom of God.

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is the director of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 28:1-10
Matthew 19:23-30

Reflection:

Material things have a way of capturing the human heart and soul and calling them to live on the fringe of what is really of value.  Material things can be like fly-paper.  It is easy to get stuck in that dimension.  In our reading today from the prophet Ezekiel, we find the prince of Tyre gloating over his wisdom applied to schemes for getting rich.  He was so arrogant that he thought he was as intelligent as God.  Ezekiel says that God will pick up the fly-paper with the prince attached and toss it away.  Like so many people today, the prince was brain dead spiritually.  We have a new atheism emerging as these one dimensional and spiritually blind people cry out to be heard.

Our gospel from St. Matthew is right in line with the teaching of Ezekiel.  “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven.”

I have known some rich people, usually “old money rich”, who are very spiritual Christians.  Their riches do not stick to them.  Their hearts are quite detached from material things.  They try to be good and generous stewards of what the Lord has brought their way.  I am sure the Lord has the “hundred fold” prepared for them and they will inherit eternal life.

If you have been blessed with an abundance of material things, then go to church often.  Every time you walk through the front door to enter the church building, leave your riches on a shelf and as you enter, reverently acknowledge your emptiness and need for Jesus.  When you get up to go and receive our Lord in Holy Communion, let this be your telling everyone there that this is who you really are; not a rich person but one who draws your life from Jesus Christ.  If you do this, when you are leaving the church and you pick up your goodies at the front door, you will find they are quite slippery.  You will not get stuck to them.

 

Fr. Blaise Czaja, C.P. gives parish missions and retreats.  He is a member of the Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
1 Corinthians 15:20-27
Luke 1:39-56

Reflection:

This feast in honor of Mary’s Assumption into heaven has been celebrated in the eastern and western churches since the fifth century. There is no direct scriptural reference to Mary’s assumption. The Church presents us with images and allusions from the Book of Revelations. As the Ark of the Covenant carried the stone tablets of the Law, so Mary carried in her womb the Messiah and Son of God. As Israel was the glory of God and the Messiah was a descendant of David, so Mary, the women clothed with the sun, brought forth Jesus. As Israel was overrun and occupied by the Romans, so Mary’s child would face the huge dragon, the personification of evil. God would protect the child and bring him to his throne and the reign of God would triumph.

In the letter to the Corinthians Paul celebrates the resurrection of the Christ. He is the first fruit to be followed at his coming by all who belong to him. Implied is that Mary, his mother and closest follower, doesn’t have to wait. The glory of the Son is the glory of the Mother.

Luke recounts the visit of Mary to Elizabeth. Her heart is revealed in her prayer of praise and thanksgiving, the Magnificat. When we are asked, what is Mary’s prayer? we sometimes say it is the Hail Mary. Yet really that is our prayer to Mary. Her prayer is here in Luke’s gospel. It is her sense in the overwhelming greatness of God, her Savior, who has looked on his lowly handmaid. It is her recognition that God in his mercy has done great things for her. So Mary teaches us the prayer of praise and thanksgiving. Do we recognize that God has done great things for us?  Do we thank him each day from the bottom of our hearts?

 

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