Daily Scripture

Scripture:

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31
Luke 19:11-28

Reflection:

At first reading today’s gospel might appear to invite us to reflect on the world of commerce and finances. The reality of one’s labour, the concept of reward for a job well done, the suggestion of investment and return and more so risk and reward,  are all alluded to in this parable of Jesus. Indeed even the concept of a banking system and interest are mentioned. All these topics are regularly part of our everyday news broadcasts and all too familiar to us in the modern world wedded as it is to its financial system.

However we are invited to look beneath the imagery and symbols of this parable and to seek out the life lesson that Jesus offers us therein. In this sense the parable is not a story about the merits of capital and investment, but rather an illustration of being faithful to one’s task, of being fruitful and of resisting the paralysing influence of fear!

When we listen to a parable it is often the third character of the story who is the one to observe closely – he or she is often the one whose actions reveal the important lesson for us.  In this sense, it is the third servant’s actions (or in this case the lack of them) which teach us that whilst life is hard and often surrounds us with powerful and even fearful forces, we must nevertheless work to assist the growth of the Reign of God in our world.

Indeed, Jesus tells this very parable precisely because there were those following him “who thought that the Kingdom of God would appear immediately”.  Jesus wished to dispel this myth.

Ultimately of course, the growth of the ‘kingdom’ (God’s Reign)  is God’s work; but we are invited by our very baptism to participate in this project.

Thus as disciples of Jesus, we cannot simply ‘bury’ our personal talents – hide them away or fail to utilise them – and allow fear or indifference to paralyse us into inactivity. Rather the Reign of God can advance in our world through effort on our part even if at times, the world around us is often preoccupied with power and wealth.

Perhaps too there is another dimension to this story that we might notice. We are each called to contribute according to our talents and ability. We all have a part to play in building up God’s Reign and what one can do – even if seemingly a modest contribution – another cannot do despite their many perceived gifts! It is not so much  matter of comparing our talents to others, but of seeing the ‘kingdom’ advance on a broad front by virtue of every disciple contributing their talents and gifts. Further, this parable illustrates that if all do not contribute, then more and more is left to the willing few. In this parable the servant with the one coin fails to act – even in a conservative way with the result that his small role is then given to the one servant who had a larger task. For those gifted and multi-talented disciples amongst us, it may indeed be a privilege to serve others and to take on large, responsible roles, but if such generous people are also taking on the work that others can do, it can lead to the most generous amongst us being overburdened!

So today let us resolve not to be frozen into inactivity by any force or fear, and to contribute our talents and gifts to the growth of God’s Reign in our world.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is a member of Holy Spirit Province, Australia.  He currently serves on the General Council and is stationed in Rome.

Scripture:

2 Maccabees 6:18-31
Luke 19:1-10

Reflection:

The first reading from the second book of Maccabees tells the wonderful story of Eleazar.  He was up in years and well liked by everyone, even those who were putting his faith to the test.  Even though they offered him a way out of dying, he would not compromise any aspects of his beliefs.  He died in fidelity to God and His laws.

I read the book by George Barna entitled “The Seven Faith Tribes”.  Through thousands of questioners and interviews, he and his organization have gathered tons of data on the world views of the American people, specifically in the area of their belief in God or lack thereof.  They have come up with a cluster of seven tribes, different groups that are organized and defined by their specific world view.

Among the Christians he speaks of two tribes:  the Captives and the Casuals.  The Captives get their name from St. Paul’s notion of being a slave of Christ.  Their entire lives are defined and centered on their relationship to Christ.  They believe what the Bible says and refuse to compromise in the area of doctrine or moral living.  Going to Church is the joy of their life.  They love their families.  They are not heavy into the whole media world.  They live in the presence of the spiritual realm and do not find great comfort in material things.  They are the lowest in debt and highest in the levels of generosity.  Among all the tribes they are least likely to view pornography, get drunk, gamble, use profanity in public, gossip, use tobacco products or commit adultery.  They are the tribe most like to serve the poor, help the homeless and have a willingness to discuss moral issues with others.  This gives you a flavor of the Captives.

The Casuals, many of whom probably began as children in the Captive mode, have casualized their faith.  One of the big goals of their lives is personal comfort, to live in peace.  They try to keep peace with everyone: God, family, friends, neighbors and coworkers.  To minimize their anxieties in life, the generally sidestep conversations about controversial matter, including religion and politics.  Their tendency is to offer encouraging words to those who are down and to look for the upside in every situation.  They feel that sharing their sunny outlook on life is one of the best gifts they can offer to others.  It is estimated that 185 million Americans fit into the Casual tribe.  They set the average for everything in the USA: The way they use the internet corresponds to the national norm.  How often they watch moves, view porn, visit psychics, etc. etc.

They love their families, distrust religions, and politics.  They have a vaneer of Christian symbols they like but they do not believe in absolute moral standards.  They are relativists.  They can tolerate almost anything in order to keep their peace.  They do not live in a world defined by God’s law.

We can learn a lot from Eleazar.  He was a Captive through and through.  Where have all the Captives gone?  I want to do a good review of my life, using these notions.  It should be an interesting and challenging reflection.

Blaise Czaja is a Passionist preacher and is stationed in Citrus Heights, California.

Scripture:

Daniel 12:1-3
Hebrews 10:11-14, 18
Mark 13:24-32

Reflection:

As we approach the end of the liturgical year the church draws upon those portions of the gospel message that deals with the end times. People have had a fascination about THE END. More than once it has been expected and even exact dates named. Jesus himself did not spend much of his preaching ministry scaring his hearers with the horrors of the end times. He was more interested in inviting us to love his Father and teaching us how to live with one another. That is really what the gospel, the good news is about.

Jesus got into this topic because his apostles asked him a question about the timing of the destruction of the temple. He assured them that this would happen very soon and there would be signs as the time approached. But then he said you haven’t seen anything yet and went on to describe the grand cosmic short-circuiting of the final end: the sun and the moon darkening and the stars falling. Finally the Son of Man comes on the clouds and the just are gathered to him. There will be no signs to predict this hour. Jesus goes on to say (Mk 33-37) that this possibility can come at any time. His conclusion: “Stay awake!”

So, I will live this moment for the Lord.

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

Scripture:

Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9
Luke 18:1-8

Reflection:

When I set out to read today’s gospel I noticed it starts out with Jesus telling the disciples a parable about the “necessity” for them to pray.  I don’t know that I had seen that word before.  Maybe I had previously spent my time focusing on the story of the dishonest judge and the badgering widow.  But, what an opening statement.

Our Lord telling us it is necessary for us to pray.  A “You need to do this” statement.   I think we all kind of get the need to pray, or do we?   So often I would get to prayers when I could.  And when I did I was often just “saying my prayers”, asking for some things, thanking Him for good things, dutifully saying Our Fathers and Hail Marys. When everything else was done.

I received two pieces of advice about praying that have really changed my prayer life.  A priest told me to pray to Jesus like you are sitting across from a friend that you really love, and you know really loves you.  Share your joys, your challenges, your struggles, tell Him where you are in life, and don’t hold back.  Be honest. Take off your masks.  Invite Him into your life.  He wants to be there.

And secondly, make prayer a priority. A commitment. Every day.  Alone. In solitude.  No excuses.  For me that has meant stopping in a church to be in front of the tabernacle.  Wherever I am.  In quiet. Alone to pray.  Each day.  Or if I can’t, going off to a quiet room and closing the door.  But for sure taking time each day.  What a difference.  Both have changed my relationship with The Lord, and my life.

Jesus taught us much about prayer, and so often witnessed to the need to pray. How often Our Lord went “off to the mountain”, “woke early and went off to a deserted place” or “prayed in private”.  The disciples witnessed this for three years.  It’s clear they got the message.  When you read the Acts of the Apostles you can see how often they “devoted themselves to prayer”, “prayed every day”, and prayed over every decision.  I think we know where they learned this.

The goal of prayer is to draw us closer to The Lord, to be with Him.  I love what Blessed Mother Theresa said, “We encounter the Lord in prayer, the Eucharist, and serving the poor”.  Jesus knew this, He taught this.  The apostles learned and followed this as well.  But do we heed His call to pray?  Intentionally and thoughtfully?  I know when I do I feel so much closer to Our Lord and so much more open to His Love.

 

Steve Walsh is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre ,and a good friend of the Passionist Community.

Memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

Scripture:

Wisdom 13:1-9
Luke 17:26-37

Reflection:

As we enter into the final few weeks of the Liturgical Year, we encounter readings containing eschatological (end times) leanings and they can often be confusing. Today’s Gospel highlights this point for us. Scripture commentaries will say that not every text should be taken literally yet, we have much to reflect upon in the context of our lives today.

Jesus references Noah and the flood of destruction, “As it was in the days” similarly mentioning the destruction of Sodom in the time of Lot; we read the same phrase, “As it was…..”  used as a hinge to this statement, the connection we are invited to hear today “so it will be in the days of the Son of Man” is added.  So the reader hears the warning but what exactly does it mean? Luke is generally understood to have written to a Gentile Christian community who would not be familiar with Hebrew Scriptures, Traditions or Laws. Neither would they have been touched by the Roman Empire’s crushing of the Jewish Revolt circa 70 A.D. and the subsequent destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in the same way as a Jewish Christian community. Luke’s point here is one of readiness—living out their lives with Christ as the model. Unlike the people of Noah or Lot’s time who seemed to be living without any concern for the future, Luke is impressing upon the community that caught unawares “as in the days of...” one might miss the preparation for “ the days of the Son of Man.”

The lesson for us today is no different really; one might get quite anxious listening to the news with tales of doom and gloom. If you think about it, we have enemies all over the world, it seems hard to believe that persecution still exists today and we have groups like ISIS, who pledge daily to “bring the war to us”. Then we have natural disasters and disease, as well as life’s daily challenges. Embedded in all of this we are invited to “watch and be ready” as we hold fast to our faith and trust in what can be confusing times.

It is really very simple—Luke is reminding us that we must not be fearful as long as we are mindfully living out Jesus’ teachings. We need to avoid being focused on our possessions, while not actually bad, they can distract us and even block us from coming to know the one true God. In the first reading, we are invited to stop long enough to see God in created things and feel a deep sense of wonder for the Potter’s works; to “Taste and See the goodness of the Lord” for ourselves and to trust that the promises made by Jesus are always enough for us.

In His call to” feed the hungry, clothe the naked….” we celebrate the feast of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini who exemplified living out her call in response to God initiative by her missionary work.

May we search and quickly find our Lord, daily. May we be holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.  Amen.

 

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:
Wisdom 7:22b-8:1
Luke 17:20-25

Reflection:

“Wisdom, the fashioner of all things taught me.”

So, how do we get taught this wisdom? It is not by “osmosis,” but “theosis.” Theosis is the process of becoming Christ (Galatians 2:20), i.e., becoming divine as images and likenesses of God. So I concentrate on how and where, and when, God is “working on my image of God.”

To understand, then, transference of wisdom is to act on a certain dimension of prayer, i.e. the ability to “reflect” (reflectare, to look back) and talk over the past and where the Lord has led me. The best pictorial image is that of rowing a boat. So which way do you sit, when rowing a boat? Backwards. You are looking back on where you have been, and the focus gives you direction as to where you are going. We have all done this. It is a method of contemplation, reflectare.

That action of contemplation can be misunderstood as to looking for results, outcomes. The outcome is in the future over which we have no control. Consider the question put to Jesus by the members of the Pharisees, namely, “when is the kingdom of God coming?” as if all of this would unfold apart from them, rather than through, with and in them.

Please, re-read the wisdom meditation. Let the multifaceted reality within you, be a reminder of how wonderful and grace-filled a prayer life is if it is the fruit of your activity for God today. Your activity for God is, basically, the willingness to be an instrument of “theosis” the divination of life.

Wisdom is a gift to be given away. Parents, spouses, grandparents, siblings, friends, classmates, fellow-workers, even strangers can be recipients of the wisdom with which we have been entrusted.

The advice to the disciples helps us to understand the nature of wisdom and the process of theosis.

The “fruits” or the results of our passing on wisdom are not for us to measure or ascertain. “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look here it is!’ or ’There it is !’”

For in fact the kingdom of God is among us. It is, rather, in the building of “communion” among all,  in the activity that brings about, equity, equality, and justice for all. Where will I reveal God’s presence today? Who knows, unless I row that boat of my prayer life today.

 

Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P. is President Emeritus of Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

Scripture:

Wisdom 6:1-11
Luke 17:11-19

Reflection:

In his autobiography, A View from the Ridge, novelist Morris West suggests that at a certain age our lives simplify, become whole, and we need have only three phrases left in our spiritual vocabulary: “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

A life that is filled with gratitude is life marked by maturity, by holiness, by love.  The Samaritan in today’s gospel demonstrates such gratitude.

Yet, Jesus in curing the 10 lepers of their disease sounds so rude.  Nor does he address the Samaritan directly.  Instead, he speaks over his head to the crowd listening in.

“Ten were cleansed, were they not?  Where are the other nine?” he demands to know.

At one level, these are peculiar questions.  The other nine obeyed Jesus’ command to go show themselves to the priest.  They’re heading in the direction Jesus told them to go.  Still, they were lacking something.

Is it the point of this story to sting the ungrateful?  That certainly is a clear message.  But perhaps the crucial point of the story is to emphasize the importance of gratitude.

“And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.”  This leper no longer had to shout from a safe distance.  He came right up to Jesus and said “thank you!”

That leper was “made well,” (from the Greek sesoken, healed of spiritual disease and death.)  The other nine were merely cleansed (ekatharisthesan, made clean of a disease.)

Gratitude, in other words, is fundamental to wholeness of mind, body and spirit.  A grateful person is one who experiences a healing that goes beyond the merely physical cure.  The Samaritan was restored to his family, his community, to wholeness in God.

In his book, Sacred Fire, Ronald Rolheiser writes: “Gratitude is the basis for all holiness.  The holiest person you know is also the most grateful person you know.”  To emphasize his point, Rolheiser urges us to “live in gratitude, and thank your Creator by enjoying your life.”

God blesses us, restores us, makes us whole, in so many ways, ways that we all too often take for granted.  Today’s gospel tells us to start living like that 10^th leper every day, to fall before Jesus and say simply “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

 

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

Scripture:

Wisdom 2:23-3:9
Luke 17:7-10

Reflection:

My sister told me that when Dad knew he was dying, he looked at her and said, “Don’t forget me, OK?” The question might seem silly, as if any of his ten kids would ever forget their father. Yet I have seen it over and over again. Dying people want to know their life made a difference, had some meaning, touched someone, and left enough of a legacy to endure. Likewise, survivors of a loved one’s death are hungry to know that someone else remembers besides them, that their loved one’s absence leaves a void in the world and they will not be forgotten. There is a deep longing in the human soul to live on and to know our loved ones live on as well.

Scripture describes it best when it says that we were formed to be “imperishable” in the image of God’s own nature. Some theologians, in fact, argue that our deep-seated desire for immortality is evidence that we are indeed immortal, that there is life beyond our earthly tenure. However, it does not change the fact that we are anything but imperishable in this life.

In my work with grieving people, I have come to see how important it is to honor that desire for memory and legacy. I often use a quote from tribal tradition: “No one is ever truly dead from this earth until there is not a person left alive who speaks their name or tells their story.” Why, then, do we tell mourners to put it behind them and get on with life? Why do we talk about anyone and everyone except the person who died? Why do we literally avoid saying the name and telling the story? It is not what the grieving person wants. It is not what the deceased person deserves. But it sure does make it easier and more comfortable to avoid the topic.

In reality, we never “put it behind us and get on with life.” We have to let go of that person’s physical presence; we will not hear the laugh again, feel the hug, or see them in their favorite chair. But we heal by creating memories out of what can no longer be, and carrying them with us into the future. We carry the life, love, lessons, stories, and memories, knowing that we are different because this person lived and died.

If you want to support a grieving person, don’t be afraid to say the name and tell the stories. Call them on the person’s birthday. Take them for coffee and share stories about their loved one. (Yes, you can include the good and the bad. Recognize that we’re not perfect people; we’re just people doing the best we can with what we’ve got, and we all mess up). Send a card on some of the monthly anniversaries letting them know you’re thinking of them and remembering with them. Accompany them to an All Souls service. Deliver flowers or comfort food or a bottle of wine on the anniversary of the death. In big and small ways, help their loved one live on in memory and story.

It can seem counter-cultural in our society that wants to deny death and grief. Ignore society. Take the chance to love someone that well, to laugh and cry together, to help them heal, and to make a difference in another’s life. Be the face of Christ to them when they most need you.

Interestingly, the more you can do that, the more “imperishable” you become. You build a legacy of love and care that is more meaningful than any physical monument, accolade, or award, and people will remember you long after you are gone. And if we can all build that kind of legacy, who knows what might happen? I suspect we may bring about the kingdom of God on this earth.

 

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/.