Daily Scripture

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/.

Scripture:

1 Kings 17:10-16
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44

Reflection:

In many parishes, today’s readings of the Widow’s mite and the visit of Elijah and the gift of lasting flour and oil lend themselves to this being designated as Stewardship Sunday.  When we hear the words Stewardship Sunday, we may say to ourselves, “Oh no, we’re going to be asked for money again.”  But Stewardship is not about money.  Stewardship is mostly about gratitude and our acknowledging that it is God who gives us everything we are, and everything we have.

This is a pretty difficult concept in our western world where the best sign of success is to be a self-made man or woman.  My dad was such a man.  He was the youngest of 9 children, born on a farm and moved to the city in the height of the depression.  He was on his own by the time he was 13 and his survival depended on his making his own way.  He worked hard and in many ways achieved the American dream.  He used to tell my brothers and me, “There is no such word as can’t; you can do anything if you try.”

Dad converted to Catholicism when I was in second grade.  And as the case with many converts, he became a devoted and faithful Catholic, but he could never bring himself to pray for the things he could do himself.  He would get more than a little upset when he saw a sports player crossing himself or when he heard us praying to do well on a test.  “You can’t expect God to do what you could do for yourself,” he’d tell us.  During this time, he gave back although he didn’t think of it in those terms.  He donated time to the local parish; helped people he knew who needed a boost; visited the sick and quietly supported several charities.

But then his mother died and a few years later, he developed cancer.  Dad began to see that there were things in life he could not change.  He learned to say “can’t.”  And he began to ask God for help and soon was acknowledging that all that he had and all that he was was indeed gift – a gift from God.  I remember dad saying to me when he was first diagnosed and was facing some painful testing, , “pray for me.”

Before dad died, we had some good conversations.  He shared about converting to Catholicism and how it had come to mean so much to him.  And he shared how grateful he was for the many gifts he had received over the years.

My dad was a good man and I will always miss his presence.  And I will always offer prayers of gratitude to God for the gift of my dad and what he taught me about stewardship.

Mary Lou Butler is a long-time friend and partner in ministry to the Passionists in California.

Scripture:

Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27
Luke 16:9-15

Reflection:

In grammar school I was taught by the Sisters of Providence and for high school, I attended the Passionist Minor Seminary. The members of these communities take a vow of poverty and were great witnesses to me on what a gift that vow can be. I had also heard from members of these communities today’s gospel admonition, which explained at least in part, why they chose this life: “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Luke 16: 13) Having their great witness and hearing the gospel were not enough to change my heart. I had to experience this truth on my own.

Letting go of my car twenty plus years ago is a good example of my struggle with this simple truth. I bought that car, a new, ’83 Cadillac Seville and spent much more for it than I should have because successful people in my business drove that kind of car. I wanted the image it exhibited. It worked for a time. People seemed impressed even mentioning how beautiful it was. Ten years later the time came when I realized that I was serving that car and not the other way around. It had to go. I called a friend of mine in the auto business and asked him to get rid of it for me. Finally it was gone. What remained however, were the phony thinking and the crazy contest for “personal prestige and big bank balances”. That is taking much longer.

I’m still learning today to simplify my life, letting go of things I no longer need on my journey to god. It’s not always easy and I’m a slow learner. God, I offer my life to you. Keep me from valuing anything over life with you, whatever that means giving up.

 

Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists.  He lives in Chicago. 

Scripture:

Romans 14:7-12
Luke 15:1-10

Reflection:

All of us have had that common experience of losing something and spending hours searching for it.  It is part of our human makeup. It transcends cultures and languages and is linked with the limitations of the human mind.  This experience is the impetus for the 15th chapter of Luke’s gospel; something is lost and then it is found.

Today’s Gospel revisits the first two of the trilogy: a sheep and a coin. A single sheep gets lost. The owner goes looking for it. Upon finding it, the owner is filled with great joy.  Notice here that it is not the shepherd of the sheep but the owner who goes looking for the lost sheep.  Does this mean there is more joy if the owner finds the sheep than if an employee finds it?

The owner has a greater vested interest.   The second story is so much like the first. Instead of it being a sheep that is lost, this time the lost object is a coin. And like the first story, again there is tremendous joy. Much like the lost sheep, it is the one with the vested interest in what was lost which receives the reward of joy. Is this what we are supposed to take from this Gospel reflection?

I certainly think the theme of joy is worth reflecting on, but did you notice the deeper theme in this gospel?   Luke doesn’t use this as a generic teaching of Jesus, nor does he use the phrase, “The kingdom of God is like…”  Luke sets the scene up with people gathered around Jesus listening to him.  Those who chose to encircle Jesus were classified as tax collectors and sinners. The first century understanding of sinner was someone who missed the mark, or even those who really didn’t have any place for the law of God in their life. So here are a group of people who never really grasped the religiousness of their lives.  I suspect they didn’t care too greatly of what religious people thought of them.   I can only imagine their enthusiasm as they are sitting around Jesus relating to him without feeling the imposition of the religious law.  They are no longer excluded, they are now part of the inner conversation and the outsiders in this circle are the ones who have always had the religious voice.  They must have been exuberant.

Luke merely says that the Scribes and Pharisees were complaining. Numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments reveal that the Divine isn’t very tolerant towards people who grumble and complain.  In this case the complaining is directed at Jesus stemming from the company he kept. If you read between the lines can you pick up on the judgmentalism of the Pharisees and their lack of gratitude?  Luke is clear. It was because of their complaining that Jesus speaks. What does he speak? He tells three parables about losing something and finding something. And he emphasizes the joy in the finding. It seems the judgmental complainers couldn’t recognize the joy in the eyes and faces of those they believed were beneath them.

What does this mean for us today? I think we can start with the simple questions.  What do you grumble and complain about?  Is the complaining keeping God from intervening?  Perhaps this is an area of conversion in your life.  If you are honest with yourself, how does grumbling and complaining fit with joy in your life?  I believe it is part of Pope Francis’ wisdom that the poor have the ability to bring us redemption, even if it is only from our own grumbling.

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Louisville, Kentucky.