Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Acts 3:11-26
Luke 24:35-48  

Reflection:

… they had come to know him in the breaking of the bread.

I’ve been suffering lately, and it’s really had me frustrated.  In my life I’ve been hurt deeply, and physically injured, broken bones, had surgery, been sick – but this thing now has me tearing my hair out.

Writer’s Block.

Melodies, texts, reflections, prayers, commentaries, journals… there’s so much I have to do – the deadlines are looming – and yet it seems as though I can make headway on absolutely none of it.  And what’s most irritating is knowing what I want to write, and yet not getting past the idea to free the path to what’s in my head.  Arrgh!!!

So this morning, while at breakfast with my young daughter, she asked, “Papa, why do you look so worried?”  I replied, “Well, sweetheart, I have a bunch of projects I need to complete, and things I need to write, and I’m having so much trouble being able to really get what’s in my head out on paper.”  She looked at me for moment, processed it a little bit, and then asked, “What is it you need to do?”  “Oh, Miss Love. There’s just so much…”

“Forget about doing all of it… What do you have to do *right now*?”

And so I told her about this reflection you’re reading right now. I told her about the Gospel, and how Jesus appeared to the Apostles and asked for fish. How frightened and in awe they must have been.  And how the Apostles in the first reading cured the sick, all the while saying they didn’t do these great works alone.  And she said, with a depth and wisdom way beyond her 9 years, “You mean like ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength’?”

“Yes! Yes, sweetheart! It’s exactly like that. You see, the Gospel today begins with how Jesus revealed himself to people through the ‘breaking of the bread.’  Even when they thought all was lost, and all was dead, it was sharing in the brokenness that really allowed them to see God’s work alive in their life.  And the Apostles lived that faith as they cured the sick. There is always new life to be sprouted if only we would live the examples given to us – to share honestly and authentically with one another, to break open our struggles and hopes – which allows God the room, the tools with which he’ll work miracles.  All we have to do is get out of God’s way.”

“Golly, Papa. Why don’t you just write that?”

This is not the first time God has worked through my problems with me in such a significantly simple way. Exactly what I wanted to say and focus on with today’s Scripture was exactly how God revealed himself to me… and through my little girl.  All I needed to do was let go of the future worries, share my current struggle, and listen. I needed to get out of God’s way. And guess what?  A miracle happened.

In the breaking of the bread, Christ is revealed. Healing. Death and resurrection.  New life.

How are you in the way of God’s miracles?
Who is God to you, today?
Who are *you* going to be God for?

Dear God, thank you for the gift of your most amazing and ever available presence. Please grant us the grace to always break open ourselves, and let your miracles shine. 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:

Acts 3:1-10
Luke 24:13-35

Reflection:

To help us understand Easter better, it helps to reflect on a few “What if” questions.

What if… there was no forgiveness of sins?  If we committed serious sin, we were forever stuck in our guilt.  Imagine how depressed Peter would have been if, after denying Christ, he could never be forgiven for that.

What if… there was a heaven, but after the fall of Adam and Eve the gates were barred to all?  No hope of eternal life.  When a person died, that was it.  Death would have the final word.

What if…all human suffering was in vain?  Had no meaning.  It was all just a waste of time.

What if…there was no real purpose in living?  We had no real mission or goal.

How terrible life would be if there were no forgiveness, no hope of eternal life, no meaning to suffering and no purpose in living.

Because Christ died and rose from the dead, because of Calvary and Easter, there is forgiveness.  Christ nailed our sins to the cross, and in his resurrection conquered the power of sin.

Because Christ died and rose from the dead, death no longer has the last word.  We have hope of eternal joy with God.  As St. Paul wrote, “O death where is your victory, where is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:55)

Because Christ died and rose from the dead, all our suffering has tremendous meaning.   We are baptized into the living Christ.  Our suffering is his suffering and he never suffers in vain.

Because Christ died and rose from the dead, there is a sublime purpose to our lives.  We are here so that Christ can live in us, work through us, manifest himself through us, do his work through us and love through us.

Easter means we have forgiveness, hope, purpose and meaning.

No wonder St. Augustine proclaimed that “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!”

Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.   http://www.alanphillipcp.com/

Scripture:

Acts 2: 36-41
John: 20: 11-18

Reflection:

As a child, Easter was, and still is, my favorite liturgical season. The solemn days leading up to Easter were filled our home with quiet anticipation of the Resurrection. I have to admit, like every other kid, that I looked forward to the Easter basket with the chocolate malt eggs, marshmallow chicks and a large hallow chocolate bunny with sugar eyes. As I grew, I came to appreciate the deeper meaning of the Triduum and Easter Sunday. There was a deep sense of joy and hope as I walked into our parish and saw the light flooding the sanctuary that was full of Easter lilies and all other types of spring flowers. The many Alleluias that were sung renewed my energy and strength.

When Peter addressed the Jewish people who had gathered to hear his words they were shocked and moved to know the Risen Christ for themselves. The Holy Spirit had given the Apostles a renewed energy and strength to preach the message of the Risen Christ. Peter was ready with specific actions for the people to follow. “Repent, be baptized, be forgiven, receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” Their Easter time was filled with a renewed faith and hope to which Christ had called them. They had opened their hearts to hear the message of Peter and the Apostles and, “about three thousand persons were added that day.”

What has been renewed within me during the days proceeding Easter?

Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb to find it empty and she is so full of fear and grief that she will not step into the tomb to see what has happened. Angels ask her, “Why are you weeping?” She states her confusing about Jesus’ missing body and turns around and hears another person asking her, “why are you weeping?” and adds “Whom are you looking for?” She does not recognize to whom she is speaking with until Jesus calls her by her name. Her grief is overcome by joy of seeing her “Teacher”, her “Rabbouni”. The first person in all four Gospels to see the Risen Christ. The first person to experience the energy and strength that comes from the Resurrection. She did not ask him any questions and without hesitation carries the message that Jesus had given her. She tells the Apostles, “I have seen the Lord” and tells them what she has experienced.

How have I heard the Risen Christ call my name?

What energy and strength has been/will be stirred up within me during the Easter Season?

Alleluia!    Alleluia!    Alleluia!

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

Scripture:

Acts 2:14, 22-33
Matthew 28:8-15

Reflection:

HE IS RISEN, ALLELUIA!!!

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples.  At the same time the chief priests and elders were trying to discredit the Resurrection by even paying off the soldiers guarding the tomb!

Discredit the Resurrection!!!!! Now Really!!!!!

How can anyone discredit the Resurrection!?

We all enjoy new life each and every day!  We just finished celebrating the great vigil! We welcomed 18 candidates and catechumens plus a newborn infant into our Christian community!  The fear of the unknown and the joy of the reality of new life that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary felt in seeing Jesus alive was also experienced by our neophyte community!  It is one thing to know in your head what is going to happen, but, when the heart experiences the saving waters of baptism, the holy anointing with chrism and the nourishment that comes with receiving the body and blood of our risen savior for the first time, it is a totally overwhelming resurrection moment!

New life is all around us!  Plants and flowers, green grass and flowing streams, newborn babies, weddings, graduations, sacramental celebrations, are just some of the ways that Jesus shows us HE IS RISEN, ALLELUIA!!!  New life abounds!

As we go through these days of the Easter season, may we continue to be refreshed in the waters of baptism, enjoy the sweet smell of chrism and feast gratefully at the table of the Lord.  May the newness of life in Jesus never wear thin and may we always enjoy the bounty of new life that surrounds us.

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!!!

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

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

Scripture:

Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Colossians 3:1-4
John 20:1-9

Reflection:

Hope is in the air!  Easter has arrived and once more we Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.  Jesus defeats death and we live in the resurrected Christ!

Seems simple enough.  All I have to do is believe.  Maybe it’s not so simple.  Maybe this Easter story of the Resurrection can be described in the words from a 1960s catechism, as more of a “bewilderment shot through with joy, when life was proclaimed where death was expected.”

Maybe this same joyous bewilderment appears in the eyes of a person we show kindness to when kindness is not expected.  Perhaps this joyous bewilderment rises within us when we realize the love we had for a dead close family member or friend proclaims the Christian truth that death does not have to be the end.  “Joyous bewilderment” is a good term for what I feel when I reflect on the Resurrection and the signs of our times.

Joyous bewilderment in the presence of refugee children crushed by needless war.
Joyous bewilderment in the eyes of those suffering chronic illness.
Joyous bewilderment in the presence of homeless folks around our cities.
Joyous bewilderment in the eyes of those stricken by natural disasters.
Joyous bewilderment in the presence of those with no clean drinking water.
Joyous bewilderment in the eyes of those who live in bitterness.

The Resurrection of Jesus is at once the contradiction and the cornerstone of my belief.  Today I rest in the assurance of joyous bewilderment with all who suffer at the foot of the Cross.  He has died, we die.  He is risen, we are risen.  The Paschal Mystery indeed is at once a bewildering mystery and a comforting joy in my heart.  Happy Easter and blessings to all!

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

Holy Saturday

Scripture:

Genesis 1:1-2:2
Genesis 22:1-18
Exodus 14:15-15:1
Isaiah 55:1-11
Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4
Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28
Romans 6:3-11
Mark 16:1-7

Reflection:

Today is one of the strangest days in the Church calendar. It is Holy Saturday. It’s so quiet. There are no Masses today.  The churches are stripped of decorations and the tabernacle is empty.  I have vivid memories of statues shrouded in black or purple. There can be no funerals or weddings.  Today is an uneasy time.

Perhaps we can imagine how the disciples felt.  The events of the past two days – sharing together the Passover meal in the upper room, Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane, the farce of a trial and sentence of death, the cruel via dolorosa and crucifixion on Golgotha – have left the disciples bewildered and confused. What does all this mean?  What are we to do? Where do we go?  They find themselves in this strange in-between time.

As we celebrate the Triduum, these three Holy Days, we know that at sundown today the Easter fire will be lit and we’ll sing again the great Alleluia. Unlike the disciples, we know what’s on the other side of Good Friday.  But that does not mean we are not faced with those very same questions.

Today is a perfect time to ask ourselves some fundamental questions.  While we know that Jesus rises again, we don’t know perfectly yet what difference that makes in our lives.  We need to keep asking, “What are we to do?” and “Where are we to go?”  We should be uneasy today.  We should wonder what changes our Lenten journey compels us to consider. Are we any more ready to see Jesus when he appears to us in the world and the people that surround us?  Are we any more ready to love and forgive? Are we any more ready to invite Him into our homes, around our tables, and into our hearts?

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.

Good Friday

Scripture:

Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
John 18:1-19:42

Reflection:

TO BE ATTENTIVE: Our Infirmities that He Bore

I have a photograph of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin in my office; it challenges me to look through a lens of healing and reconciliation when I am grumpy or critical, or when I climb up on my self-righteous high horse. I was a pastor in the Windy City when this Chicago archbishop — a holy and inspiring man — was in his final days. Falsely accused of pedophilia by a former seminarian, publicly derided by a fellow-prelate for co-founding the Catholic Common Ground Initiative (to help confront the difficult issues in the Church which create polarization and then to lift these issues up for dialogue), and, finally, courageously battling pancreatic cancer, Cardinal Bernardin modeled for us a Christ-like embrace of the Cross.  Whenever I read today’s suffering servant passage from the prophet, Isaiah, I am stirred by memories of this extraordinary churchman.

Truly he “atoned” for our sins… i.e., he bound us back together or “at-oned” us when we might have broken apart. And I will never forget that final vesper service in the cathedral; Bernardin had asked the clergy of the archdiocese to pray with him. In that homily he said, “My brother priests, if you don’t remember anything else from our ministry together, all I ask is that you remember one thing: I have fallen in love with you, and now I am willing to give my life for you.” Today so many people are so full of woundedness and hatred they are willing to kill; some are so full of love and the Kingdom of God, however, that they are willing to die… to self, to live for others.

Today might be a time to be attentive… not only to the love of the suffering Jesus on Calvary, but to all those who suffer and atone for our sins.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.  (Isaiah 53)

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

Holy Thursday

Scripture:

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-15

Reflection:

Do this in remembrance of Me (1 Cor 11:24)

Memory is a beautiful gift of God.  Without it our love ones drift away from us as if they have died.   No one doubts that with the loss of memory brings severe damage to us.  So it is with Jesus’s concern for us that we never forget Him Who never forgets us!   At the moment of the institution of the Holy Eucharist when Scripture tells us that one of the apostles is betraying Him, He asks us to remain with Him in our thoughts and hearts by memory.

We are grateful when people remember us because they are putting us into their inmost thoughts and heart.   The Eucharist is a living remembrance of Christ at the ultimate act of love that the world has ever seen!  “The Eucharist Sacrifice, the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated over the centuries, is the summit and source of all Christian worship and life:” Code of Church Law Consequently the gaze of the Church is constantly turned to her Lord, present in the Sacrament of the Altar, in which she discovers the full manifestation of his boundless love”. Lumen Gentium,

Holy Thursday is that time when we remember Jesus remembering us.   We in the explosive moment of the Lord’s death and resurrection place deeply in our hearts and minds the indescribable love He shows us on the cross.  It is the ultimate moment of revelation that we keep in our mind and heart.   It is the decisive hour for us to experience how we are in the beautiful memory of Christ on the Cross!  “Jesus remember me when you enter into your kingdom!”   Can we ever imagine a more beautiful place to be than in the mind and heart of Jesus at the supreme moment of His fondness for us?   Such is the Eucharist!  To be forgetful of it is to miss the treasure of our lives!

 

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