Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Daniel 2:31-45
Luke 21:5-11

Reflection:

And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.” Luke 21:8

Jesus tells us not to be led astray.  The word in the original Greek New Testament is planáō used some 46 times and means to (properly, cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue).   In our secular society we do a lot of straying from Biblical truths.  In our arrogance we think we should redefine ancient truths like marriage and willful taking away life before it has a God given chance to be born.   It was well said by Shakespeare that “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”  “Do not go after them.”

Pride is a confusing word today because it can take on a meaningful truth.  We are proud of our children, praising God for giving us such a wonderful gift.  We might well take great pleasure when God grants us the ability to do something beautiful.  But that greatest sin at the root of our straying is that arrogant attitude that nothing is true if I don’t agree with it.

Jesus was not exaggerating when He says “many” will pit our puny minds against God’s reveled word.  This was the primal sin of Adam. He thought with the help of the evil one that God did not want him to eat of the forbidden fruit because God didn’t want him to become a god doing his own will.  “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5   Well, they ended up naked and ashamed leaving to their children an inheritance of evil and misery!

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

Scripture:

Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20
Luke 21:1-4

Reflection:

In our Scripture readings for today, we find some aspects of what it means to be a disciple. In our first reading from Daniel, we are introduced to Daniel and his companions, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. They are young men who have been brought to Babylon after the Babylonians conquered Israel to be of service to the Babylonian king.

Daniel and his companions show themselves to be exceptional young men. Here they are, in exile from their native land, and they still “bloom where they are planted.” (We pray that the refugees from war-torn lands will also be able to bloom where they land). They refuse the food given to them, most likely because it is unclean according to the Mosaic Law, but they flourish on vegetables. So they remain true to who they are, and in a phrase I learned in Alabama, and whose they are. God did not abandon them when they were taken from Israel.

Daniel and his companions show us that no matter where we are, God is with us, and that we can still grow in love and service, even though we may be far from what is familiar and comfortable.

In our Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus observes a poor widow putting a few cents into the Temple treasury, and remarks, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” What the widow teaches us is that we are called to give, not out of what’s extra, but of ourselves. And even though we may look at ourselves as poor, in terms of what we can offer, we are still called to give. God can use our “poverty” to connect with those who are feeling poor themselves.

As disciples, we are called to serve, wherever we are, in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves. We do so, knowing that God is with us always, giving us what we need to do His will for us.

 

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P. is on staff at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan. 

Solemnity of Christ the King

Scripture:

Daniel 7:13 -14
Revelations 1:5-8
John 18:33b-37

Reflection:

In my office hangs a numbered print of  ” Walk of Faith” by Thomas Kinkade.  It depicts  Jesus walking with St. Peter along a pathway through a forest bright with colors and the mix of  light and darkness  characteristic of Thomas Kinkade.  I find it to be an inspirational painting inviting reflection on our journey through life with the Lord Jesus.  The image of Jesus reflects some of the more appealing images of Jesus in the Gospels.  Jesus as Good Shepherd, Jesus as healer, the compassionate Jesus who forgives, Jesus the teacher sitting on the mound or in a boat or sitting in the temple  – these all come to mind when I look at this painting.  These images inspire, strengthen, encourage, and bring a kind of peace to those who spend time with them in mind and heart.

What a contrast to our scripture readings and Solemnity today !  Today we have the image of the Royal Jesus.  In Daniel, Jesus is depicted as the Son of Man coming on the clouds to assume His everlasting dominion over the entire Universe.  In Revelations, Jesus is the timeless ruler over all of the kings of the earth – He is the Alpha and the Omega !  St. John gives us a stop and look again image of Jesus.  He is a prisoner before His captor but He is a prisoner who is in total control of the moment and the conversation.  In testifying to the truth, Jesus assumes the royal position of proclaiming the truth of an unseen kingdom unknown to His captor.  The kingdom is far superior to these earthly kingdoms  and is everlasting.  Here,  Jesus is all powerful, glorious and reigning in splendor.

I have a dilemma in attempting to place these two images of Jesus side by side.  The oddity is compounded by dimensions of our American culture.  Most of us do not think in terms of kings or queens or royal families.  Even when a writer uses the terms in reference to one or another political dynasty in America, we pretty much brush aside the implications of “royalty”.  Royal concepts are alien to our thought patterns.  Perhaps this is why we much more readily relate to the images of Jesus occasioned by the painting “Walk of Faith”.  A kingly Jesus was much more understandable to us in the 1950’s when Sacred Scripture was pretty much left to the Priests of the Church while the laity was steeped in our devotional life.  That was a wonderful time for me and my spiritual life but times have changed.  Now we are encouraged to read and study the Scriptures as never before.  Because we do, we are invited to wrestle with the images and the Person of the Lord Jesus in every dimension of our relationship with Him.  Our Solemnity  provides us with some food for thought for such a reflection.

Our idea of royal responsibilities needs to be stretched a bit.  If we are thinking of a king who acts on the conviction that He is responsible for the welfare and well being of every one of His subjects, we may be able to think of the Lord Jesus as king.  If we think of royalty as one who tempers accountability with mercy and compassion, perhaps Jesus can be royal for us.  If we are expecting a kingly presence that champions truth and helps everyone to seek and to find the truth of life, then perhaps Jesus can be that presence for us.  If we imagine a king who has a profound sense of being here for the service of His People, who is attentive to their every need, who provides strength in the weaker moments of life, healing in the wounded moments of life, forgiveness in the fallen moments of life and affirming motivation in the journey of life, then perhaps Jesus can be our King.  All of those mind filling  “Walk of Faith” dimensions of Jesus may actually come together to create a royal image of Jesus who we celebrate in Handel’s Messiah at Christmas as “King of Kings”.

For each of us, Jesus remains as the center of our life.  As we walk with Him, circle around Him and look intently at Him from every vantage point, seeing Him  and understanding Him in differing ways as the circumstances of our lives shift and change, perhaps we come to the moment in our “Walk of Faith” when all those dimensions converge into the image of the Lord Jesus,  King of our hearts and King of the Universe.

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

The Presentation of Mary

Scripture:

Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 1:26-38

Reflection:

The Presentation of Mary in the Temple was a favorite devotion of St. Paul of the Cross.  It represented a special way for him to think of Mary, as he pursued his own task of trying to do what he understood God was asking of him: to dedicate his own life to God, as she did, by starting new religious communities of men and women in the church who were to dedicate their lives to God, as she did.  For there is no question but that Mary was totally committed to what she perceived God asking her to do.

St. Paul the Apostle captures this in his letter to the Galatians, suggested as a reading in today’s Eucharist, where he recounts the sending forth into our midst of His own Son, to free us for our destiny of achieving our special status as adopted children of God.   And St. Paul notes that “this Son (was) born of a woman”, that is, Jesus was born of Mary, who thereby participated in the great redemptive act of freeing us from the burdens of the law.  Without her this would not have come to pass, at least as we have come to know it.

And St. Luke, in the day’s gospel, spells out this role of Mary in God’s work by detailing its very beginnings, when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary her calling and her destiny in being the mother of this Son of God, enabling Him to go about His task of freeing us all from the evils of sin and the burdens associated with it.

In reflecting on this glorious role of Mary, the church, over the centuries, grew in appreciation of Mary’s participation in God’s work, realizing that this was the center-piece of her life, and that it had its beginnings for her at an early period, before she was even married.  Of course, as we understand from St. Luke’s account of its inception in her life, it represented a challenge for this young woman, since she was not yet married, and so the angel Gabriel’s announcement that she was to be a mother, needed some clarification on how all of this was to come about.  And as the angel provided this, Mary came to see the dimensions of the task being laid out before her, and she acquiesced: “Let it be done to me as you say.”

From this we gather this young woman was equal to the task at hand, not on the sudden, but as a result of being someone who was close to God and His way of doing things, throughout her young life, indeed, from its very beginning, convincing us that her orientation toward God was a lifelong tendency, from her very infancy, as today’s feastday suggests: her presentation in the temple early on.  Though we have no biblical evidence of this, we really don’t need it, given the trajectory of her life, from beginning to end.  So a tradition built up about her early dedication to God, impacting the life of the church, and the life of St. Paul of the Cross, whose desire to dedicate his own life to God’s plan for him was inspired by this devotion to Mary’s presentation, by her parents, to God.

Paul’s own sense of a developing vocation in his life took the shape of new congregations of men and women dedicated to the same task facing Mary, that of our redemption, in view of which he named the first monasteries (retreats, as he styled them) for both men and women Passionists: the Presentation.  And this is what we recall and honor today: the total dedication to God’s work, from the very beginning, symbolized by the presentation Passionist men and women make of themselves.

This is an instance of the role that tradition, along with scripture, plays in the life of the church.  It too has deep roots in history, and it captures the overflow of significant events in the life of God’s people.

It has a secular counterpart in the lore surrounding some of the larger-than-life celebrities dotting the history of any given era.  For instance, in the world of professional baseball, there are instances of remarkable exploits leaving behind them, on the sea of life, a wake, as evidence of something significant having occurred.  As in the case of the relatively unknown Chicago White Sox shortstop, Luke Appling, who was of some significance during his playing years, but whose exploits for “greatness” lie outside the usual criteria.  For he had a remarkable ability to hit foul balls—an interminable series of foul balls—gradually causing unrest among the fans, but especially exhausting the opposing pitcher on the mound, to the point where at times he had to be relieved and replaced—the very outcome Luke aimed at.  His technique for winning ballgames settled into the lore of baseball, as a way of wearing down an excellent pitcher.  Foul balls may not be celebrated in the annals of baseball but the technique is now part of baseball “tradition”, rooted in history.  For who would otherwise remember Luke Appling, if not for his ability in hitting endless foul balls?  For it won games.  And even in our Christian faith, who would remember certain remarkable feats in our history, were it not for our traditions?

Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, C.P. is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago.

 

Scripture:

1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59
Luke 19:45-48

Reflection:
What a startling contrast there is between the way the Maccabees look at the temple and the way the “chief priests, scribes and leaders of the people” in today’s gospel view it.

In today’s first reading we are told that as soon as their rebellion against the Seleucid empire was successful, the Maccabees restored the temple and traditional worship, built a new altar and made their burnt offerings and sacrifices of praise.  For the Maccabees the temple was the place where God dwelt and deserved reverence.  Restoring the temple filled them with joy and gladness so much so that they celebrated the restoration every year after that.

In contrast to that reverence and joy, the chief priests, scribes and leaders of the people of Jesus’ time seemed more concerned about using the temple as a place of commerce.  The sense of the sacred is so obviously absent that Jesus becomes angry and drives the merchants and money-changers from the temple courtyard.  Their response to Jesus’ outrage wasn’t shame, but rather self-righteousness and a desire to destroy Jesus.

Quite a contrast!

These two stories got me thinking about my own attitudes toward the Church.  For us the Church is the place where God dwells.  Of course, the Church is more than a building or even a set of buildings.  It is the body of Christ.  And, we all are constituent parts of it.  But together with Christ we are the place where God dwells.  We are sacred.  We are the place where men and women meet God.  Restoring the temple brought joy and gladness to the Maccabees.  Does being the place where God dwells fill me with joy and gladness?   Do I look to the Church to find God?  O God, please give me eyes to see!

 

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

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.