Daily Scripture

Scriptures:

Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32
Matthew 19:13-15

Reflection:

What we do with our lives really does matter. How we live each day truly is of ultimate significance, because the cumulative effect of our daily behavior will reveal whether we chose the path to life or the path to death.

In today’s first reading, God, speaking through his prophet, Ezechiel, tells the Israelites that they “shall surely live” if they do “what is right and just,” if they “oppress no one,” if they “give food to the hungry and clothes the naked,” if they do “not lend at interest nor exact usury,” “commit no robbery,” and “if they hold off from evildoing.” At first glance, the prophet’s words might leave us with a relaxed and easy conscience—after all, how many of us have the power to oppress anyone? And yet, isn’t it true that we can “oppress” others by the attitudes we have towards them (if we are biased, judgmental, or prejudiced); by how we talk to them or treat them (if we are mean, harsh, petty, or malicious); and by what we refuse to do for them (if we withhold kindness, love, or forgiveness)? Similarly, we may not literally “lend at interest nor exact usury,” but do we often try to gain an advantage over others by putting our needs first or by making sure everything turns out well for us? And even if it never even entered our minds to commit a robbery, have we ever gone through life grabbing as much as we could for ourselves, never once wondering if we had more than we needed and, therefore, “robbing” others who had little or nothing at all? If we are not to stray from the path to life, we must “hold off from evildoing” in all its forms.

Today’s first reading is sobering. But it is also suffused with hope, because when Ezechiel concludes, “Turn and be converted from all your crimes…and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit,” God assures us that it is never too late to change, never too late to start over. And if that doesn’t stir hope in our hearts, these final words surely will: “Why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord God. Return and live!”

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology & Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63
Matthew 19:3-12

Reflection:

The beautiful words of God’s care and love reverberate in these passages. We can even hearken back to Hosea 11 and Jeremiah 29 as further examples. The Lord knows His plans for us; to prosper us and give us hope and a future.

The beginning of the Gospel shakes us. Jesus is approached by some Pharisees and asked, “Can a man divorce his wife for any reason?” The teachable moment allows Jesus to explain God’s intent of marriage through the ages. God created them male and female, and for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh. Humanity must not separate what God has joined together.

The Passionist family talk often of vocation; the religious men and women who made vows to the congregation. We also must include the laity who make such wonderful contributions through their service and witness in spreading the charism

The Gospel spoke last week of Jesus’ trajectory. The disciples were put in a hard place to say who Jesus was in Caesarea Philippi, and then accept what Jesus meant as messiah.

In our own lives, we are given trajectories and projects to fulfill. God has plans for our prosperity, hope and future.

Fr. Phillip Donlan, CP, is the Associate Director of Ministry at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, California.

Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

Today we celebrate one of the most special feasts of our Blessed Mother, the feast of the Assumption.  This was declared to be a universal feast of the Church by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950.  In his own words, “We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma that the immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.”  The Pope’s declaration, of course, was actually a formal announcement of what was already a commonly held belief of the faithful in the Catholic Church for centuries.

But what I personally most love about this special day is that, in a very unique way, for perhaps the first time ever, we are invited to think about the intimate relationship, not of Mary with her own beloved Son, Jesus, but with God the Father.  It was God who sent his only Son into the world to be our Savior (For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son) and it was God who sent the angel Gabriel to Mary to invite her to share in the mystery of the Incarnation.  There was a very special relationship already begun by the loving outreach of God.  And, in this feast of the Assumption, we are invited to reflect on how, at the end of the Blessed Mother’s life, in the mystery of her Assumption into Heaven, there is an expression of the wondrous faithfulness of God himself by drawing her to himself, body and soul, glorious in every way.

When people question me about this great mystery, my response is quite simply, “Well, God can do anything, right?”  But surely there is more to it than that!  The Assumption of Mary, just like the resurrection of Jesus himself from the dead, is the ultimate and clearest expression of the faithfulness of God, our God, who loves us in this way, too!  Our God is a faithful God, just as the hymn declares.  And our faithful God is with us in every moment, just as God was with Jesus, and just as God was always by Mary, as well.  Today, in all the events surrounding us, especially those things that test our faith, how important it is to remember: “Our God is faithful.  Our God is a faithful God.”  If we remember this, dear friends, then, just as did our Blessed Mother, we too can declare and sing with her those great words form her own Magnificat, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my savior…God who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.”

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

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

Scripture:

Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22
Matthew 18:15-20

Reflection:

Saint Maximilian Kolbe: A Beacon of Sacrifice and Heroism

Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a twentieth-century Polish Franciscan priest and martyr canonized by Pope John Paul II, holds a special place as the patron saint of those battling addiction. His story resonates with profound selflessness and commitment.

Imagine this: Kolbe volunteered to starve to death in a locked cell at Auschwitz, taking the place of another internee condemned by the Nazis to die slowly from starvation. For a person begging Saint Kolbe for help, the misery of giving up a drug could pale in comparison to a meditation on relentless hunger. Kolbe’s sacrifice—paying the ultimate price—can leave an electrifying image to help us face our struggles.

But Kolbe’s heroism extends beyond Auschwitz. He founded the Militia of the Immaculata in 1917—a fierce organization defending the Catholic Faith. While under German occupation, he and fellow religious hid thousands of Jewish and Polish people from the Nazis and fearlessly published anti-Nazi articles.

Today, Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s biography remains a failsafe source of inspiration. Dive into his life—a narrative rich with valor and virtue. Wikipedia provides an adequate introduction.

Jack Dermody is the editor of the CrossRoads bulletin for the Passionist Alumni Association and a member of the Migration Commission for Holy Cross Province. He lives in Glendale, Arizona. 

Scripture:

Ezekiel 2:8-3:4
Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

Reflection:

Ezekiel was a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem when he was called by God to warn the people of immanent destruction. If the people did not return to fidelity to God, the people would be exiled and their country destroyed. The people relied on their own wisdom, implemented political alliances for self-preservation and accepted idolatrous practices. Eventually Babylon did capture Jerusalem, and Ezekiel was exiled with the leaders. Now in exile the prophet became a voice of hope, encouraging the people to turn to the Lord and offering them images of hope that one day they would return to Jerusalem, and the glory of God would return to the Temple (the vision of the dry bones returning to life).

In the reading for today, Ezekiel is commanded to eat the scroll, covered with writings, front and back, of lamentations, wailings and woes. When he ate it, the scroll was as sweet as honey. Like Ezekiel, each one of us carries a scroll with writings: our disappointments, our discouragements and our despairs. They create a fear within us that our life will never get better, or we are tempted to flee from them by ignoring or denying them. God shows Ezekiel that we must accept the negative side of life as part of our humanity. It is only in accepting our lamentations and woes that God can act in our life. “Ezekiel” means “God strengthens,” and when Ezekiel ate the scroll in obedience to God’s command, the prophet was admitting his own sins and failures as well as those of his fellow citizens. He was turning to God like the child in the gospel reading today, totally dependent upon the parents for help. What was bitter became sweet as honey.

God continues to perform miracles in our lives if we turn to God with childlike faith and trust. God brings light into our darkness, forgiveness for our sins, strength where we are weak. Let us be humble like a child and enter into the Kingdom of God, relying on the strength that only God can give us.

Fr. Don Webber, C.P. is the director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness. He resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28c
Matthew 17:22-27

Reflection:

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus makes the first prediction of his coming passion and death late in Chapter 16.  This prediction bewilders, confuses and frustrates his disciples resulting in the occasion in which Peter took Jesus aside rebuking him saying: “God forbid, Lord!” No such thing shall ever happen to you”.  Of course, Jesus, in turn rebukes Peter telling him to “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.  You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”  This interchange is followed directly by Jesus’ discussion of the conditions of discipleship, involving each of his followers to take up their own crosses to follow him.

Shortly thereafter in Chapter 17, Jesus presents the second prediction of his passion and death.  He tells his disciples: “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.”  The verse then describes the disciples as being “overwhelmed with grief”.  However, there is no additional discussion about the second prediction.

Rather, the Gospel turns immediately to a discussion in Capernaum between Peter and the collectors of the temple tax (distinct from Roman taxes) about whether the teacher pays the temple tax.  Obviously, to fulfill the prophesy of his own passion and death, the Jewish authorities have begun to bait Jesus and his followers.  However, since his time had not yet come, Jesus thwarts the temple tax collectors’ devices by instructing Peter to “go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.” 

It is not uncommon for certain species of fish to ingest shiny objects off of a lake bottom or the seafloor.  In this passage, Jesus knew the precise moment in time and place when a certain fish would appear with an ingested coin that would be worth twice the temple tax.  While this clever diversion by Jesus forestalls the Jewish authorities attempts to build a case against him, it in no way relieves the anxiety, confusion and frustration that the disciples had begun to experience in the wake of his two recent predictions. 

Thereafter, in Chapter 20, Jesus makes his third prediction about his passion and death.  The disciples can no longer wonder about what the implications of these bold predictions are.  By this point no one, except Jesus, wants to return to Jerusalem, even for the Passover celebration.  But the disciples have all been challenged, after the first prediction, to deny themselves, take up their crosses and follow him.  What choice did they have?  What choice do we have?  Will the disciples return to Jerusalem with him?  Will they celebrate the final Passover, and then witness the horrific persecution and death that their master is to endure?  Will we be in their midst?.  Will we follow him every step of the way no matter how gut-wrenching and traumatic the experience is?  Will we stand with his mother, his beloved disciple and the other women at the foot of the cross?  If not, why not?  We know it is coming.  We know it is our path to eternal glory.  We only need to pray for the faith, the courage and the stamina to walk the walk and talk the talk.  It will not be easy.  However, by invocation, the Holy Spirit will see us through just as he did for the disciples in that upper room.  So let us pray fervently for the determination to keep moving forward no matter the anxiety, confusion and frustration that we are sure to encounter along the way.  The joy at the end of the journey will be eternal.          

Bill Berger has had a lifelong relationship with the Passionist Family.  Bill and his wife, Linda, are currently leaders of the Community of Passionist Partners (CPP’s) in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

1 Kings 19:4-8
Ephesians 4:30-5:2
John 6:41-51

Reflection:

The Jews mumbled about Jesus because he said, ‘I am the bread of life that came down from heaven.’

To understand today’s gospel, part of the Bread of Life discourse, we must hear its echoes in two key themes. 

First, the allusion to the grumbling Israelites in their 40-year wilderness trek, sustained by manna from heaven, is parallel to the Jews grumbling near Capernaum after they have seen Jesus feed the 5,000.

Second, Jesus, the bread of life that came down from heaven, alludes to the evangelist John’s majestic prologue to his gospel: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn 1:14). 

By way of background to today’s gospel, Jesus earlier had fed the 5,000 who were in a deserted area after he had taught them (Jn 1:1-15).  But the Jews had failed to see the significance of the miracle.  Jesus had offered to meet their deepest needs, but they were more concerned about their bellies.  Thanks to Moses, “Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness,” they reminded Jesus.  Can you do as much as Moses?

This exchange between Jesus and the crowd recalls how the Israelites in the wilderness grumbled for food until Moses fed them manna.  They were sustained by the manna until they reached the Promised Land.  Jesus corrected them.  It was not Moses, but God who gave them bread from heaven.

“I am the bread of life,” Jesus declared to the crowd.  “Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died.  I am the living bread that came down from heaven so that one may eat and not die” (Jn 6:48-50).

Those gospel themes—grumbling in the wilderness and Jesus as the bread of life that came down from heaven—should resonate in our own lives.

We too are challenged throughout our lives to walk the long walk in the wilderness.  Will we grumble and complain?  Or will we place our radical trust in God who will sustain us in difficult times?

Can we see that God in Jesus feeds us every day, even and especially in our wilderness moments?  The manna that God gives us is the Body of Christ in the Eucharist.  This food will nourish us as we journey through our lives until we arrive at our true home, the Promised Land, the kingdom of God.

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

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 9:6-10
John 12:24-26

Reflection:

Whenever I’m going through a difficult time, I have trouble maintaining focus in my contemplative prayer practice. I recently became increasingly frustrated – and guilty – over my failures to still my thinking brain. I tried mightily to sit in silence. But my mind persistently wandered away as I worked to make sense of things, figure out issues in my life, and find answers. I let God in, but usually it was to beg for help, guidance, and strength. My inability to focus was like the disciples in the Garden, and I imagined Jesus asking if I couldn’t just stay with him for a while and pray.

Then I realized the problem was my insistence on remaining in charge. I wanted to make sense of it myself, and then make my own decision on what to do. Yes, I begged God for help, but I wasn’t really listening to that still voice inside because my own voice was too loud. I was clinging to the life I knew, the solutions I knew, and the strategies that worked for me in the past. Like the grain of wheat that needed to die, I was encased in the hard seed shell of my own workings under the guise of prayer.

Somehow, and only eventually, the Spirit penetrated my shell anyway and challenged me. Instead of begging God to guide me, could I admit that God already was? Instead of proclaiming my trust in God, could I sit quietly in true trust without having to say anything myself? Could I deeply let myself be loved for a few minutes, knowing that God is working in me in ways I don’t even understand? Could I let go of control, what I “knew”, the things of life that I loved, and my need to figure it out, and let God be God in me? Could I die to myself and get out of God’s way?

My prayer since then has been different. My mantra is trust. In fact, when my mind wanders and thoughts pop up, I repeat “trust” over and over, giving my mind something to focus on while I sink below it into God’s presence. It’s hard to explain in logical ways.  Yet I know the experience of letting God draw me downward, into a peaceful embrace that needs no words, thoughts, or decisions. It feels like “doing nothing”, but God is never doing nothing. In mysterious ways, I am being changed. When I end my prayer time and return to life, I don’t have immediate clarity but I am more content with that. I trust that God is working, and in God’s time, I will see the path to take.

So every day I sit and practice contemplative prayer again. As Thomas Keating wrote, the only way I can “fail” is to not show up. If I show up, God works. My tight little seed shell is cracking open. I am letting go, allowing myself to “lose” aspects of life that I love. In the process, new life is emerging and I am growing in good ways.

To what are you clinging that keeps you from fully trusting God? Can you join me in devoting more time to sitting in God’s presence in a prayerful stance of surrender? Can you refuse to cling to yourself and your present life, to “let go and let God”? Let’s try it together.

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/.