Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Jeremiah 18:18-20
Matthew 20:17-28

Reflection:

In our gospel reading from Matthew today we see Jesus and the apostles heading to Jerusalem. Jesus shares with them a pretty grim picture of what he has to look forward to in Jerusalem. As I contemplate my own journey to Jerusalem I am reminded of a favorite song, Jerusalem, My Destiny.  The refrain goes like this.

I have fixed my eyes on your hills, Jerusalem, my destiny!
Though I cannot see the end for me, I cannot turn away.
We have set our hearts for the way;
This journey is our destiny.
Let no one walk alone. The journey makes us one.

Lent calls us to journey with Jesus and each other on our own road up to Jerusalem!  What does your journey to Jerusalem look like for you this Lent?!  My Lenten journey as a child included the usual ‘giving up’ a favorite dessert, not quarreling with my siblings or being a more obedient daughter to my parents.  I think we can all agree the lent of our childhood may seem in retrospect to be much simpler as we view it with adult eyes during this Lenten 2024!

It is my hope and prayer that this Lenten season finds you and me with our eyes fixed on the hills of Jerusalem, our destiny.  I pray for the strength and courage to enter into the pain and suffering that awaits each of us as we walk along with Jesus on this journey.  May we be willing to die to our busyness and focus on the needs of our suffering sisters and brothers in our communities, families and churches.  The gospel message that Jesus preached and calls us to live reminds us that we are called to serve, not to be served.  May our Jerusalem journey serve to keep this challenge ever before us this Lent and beyond!

May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!

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

Scripture:

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20
Matthew 23:1-12

Reflection:

We are in the second week of Lent and our readings for today immerse us even more deeply into the mystery of God’s mercy and compassionate love.  But gratefully, we are also shown a better way to make a difference where it can really count.  Let’s revisit the people’s plaintive plea from the book of Deuteronomy:

 “Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments!  We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.  We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day…”

We are “shamefaced”, so painfully aware of our sins and transgressions against all that is good and holy.  And so, we cry out to God above and plead for God’s mercy and forgiveness.  This cry out to the Lord is so very appropriate for all of us today as we see the horrid and tyrannical transgressions against God’s love and justice so present in our own land and in the world itself!  Repeatedly, in the psalm response for today’s Eucharist, we hear ourselves chanting, “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins!”

And how does the Lord respond?  The answer is so clear as we listen to the message proclaimed in the Gospel of Luke.  Be merciful as our Father in Heaven is merciful.  Don’t judge and condemn others.  Forgive and love one another.  How can we expect to receive God’s mercy and love when we refuse to offer the same thing to one another!

What I most appreciate about the readings from the Liturgy today is that what seems so overwhelming when we view all the evil around us can be transformed so simply if we only do what the Lord has asked of us from the very beginning.  Love one another; forgive and be merciful.  Then we will know mercy and love ourselves, and the world will not be the same!  It just has to start with each of us in our own way.  If we want the Lord to be kind and merciful to us, shouldn’t we all do the same for one another?  It has to begin somewhere.  It has to begin with us, right here and right now!

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

Scripture:

Daniel 9:4b-10
Luke 6:36-38

Reflection:

For those of us who grew up in the heyday of post-WWII Catholic life, Lent brings back vivid images of boldly (and a bit too proudly?) showing off our ashed foreheads, out-competing (a bit too proudly?) classmates with what we were giving up, Friday stations of the cross, and scrambled eggs on Friday night…better than the tuna melts.

For all that and more, Lent endures as a valuable time to assess. What’s gone well? What not so much?

Today’s first reading from the Prophet Daniel expresses what each of us has confessed at some point in our lives: “We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.” But recognizing and confessing our sins and faults may be the easier Lenten task.

Looking back over my life, my cringe-worthy regrets are not so much what I did but what I did not do. When I knew I could have been a better friend. What I did not do that I knew even then I should have done. How many times did I let fear get in the way of doing what was right?

I find Jesus’ injunction in Luke’s gospel today to be so pertinent and timely. Stop with the judging, will you?! We all know and count on the mercy of God to forgive us. But then we turn around and just keep on judging others for who they are, how they vote, who they love, what their skin color is, or how they worship. My goodness, we’re back to childhood days of “My Lenten fast is harder than yours, so I am better than you.”

In whatever ways you choose to practice a Lenten discipline, maybe complement it with choosing a Lenten kindness that takes some of today’s pervasive judging of others off the table.

Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and was the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.

Second Sunday of Lent

Scripture:

Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
Romans 8:31b-34
Mark 9:2-10

Reflection:

Today’s readings are difficult to comprehend. Abraham, it seems, was misguided into thinking that God would want what the Canaanite gods wanted; so, Abraham, the faith-filled servant who, with his wife Sarah, left his homeland at an advanced age, who chose to obey God even at a tremendous sacrifice, now must wrestle with an even more difficult decision than leaving his past, he must sacrifice his only son, his only future.

We may look upon Israel’s culture at the time of Abraham as barbaric, gruesome, even grisly and archaic, and dismiss these so called “primitive” people who practiced human sacrifice — as ancient history. In the same breath, we like to think of ourselves as sophisticated, highly evolved, an advanced species: but it’s good to remind ourselves that from 1914-1953, upwards of 10 million people were killed… because of the Holocaust, two world wars, and revolutions. And recently another innocent life was again sacrificed at the Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, adding to a litany of sadness… Columbine. Sandy Hook. Orlando. San Bernardino, Minneapolis, Las Vegas… is this the development of human consciousness? Some years ago, one spiritual writer penned these words:

 “May we repent, and may God forgive us, as we worship at the altar of the gun, even to the point of sacrificing our own children. … May we repent, and may God forgive us, as we offer “thoughts and prayers” that cost us nothing, instead of real and lasting answers to the hatred we bear each other, to the fears that drive us to kill, to the violence that permeates our lives.” (Valerie Schultz, America Magazine, 2/16/2018)

When I was a student, I remember my formation director telling me, “Questions do not dampen faith, cheap answers do.”

If Karl Barth was correct, and theologians must clutch the newspaper in one hand and Sacred Scripture in the other, then today’s liturgy compels me to question: How can I help? How can I fight against gun violence? How can I urge my religious and political leaders to enact change? How can I help people understand that this is a pro-life issue? Today. In our second reading, St. Paul tells the church at Rome, “If God is for us, who can be against us? If God did not spare even his own Son, will he not give us everything else along with him?”

Fr. Jack Conley, CP, is the local superior of St. Vincent Strambi Community in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 26:16-19
Matthew 5:43-48

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel tells us to be kind: “Be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous”. MT 5:45   Luke’s account adds: “and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. “LK 6:35 The word Kind comes from old English word for kinship.  We should be kind as much as to our closest relatives!  The Greek word for kindness in the inspired NT scriptural text is Chaestos which means being willing to be serviceable to someone!  The Old Testament Hebrew word with same meaning is “HINENI“   “Here I am” i.e. ready to help you!

Don’t you love kind people.  Their thoughtfulness for us is cemented to our memory!  I remember some 57 years ago I was driving down Interstate 70 when a tornado went right over my car, and I found myself and the car stuck deep in the mud off the road!  In less than 5 minutes a trucker stopped and pulled me out.   I don’t remember that good man’s name, but I vividly remember his kindness!

Mark Twain put it nicely when he wrote: “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see!” “Be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind,” “Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” Rom 2:4   

I like to finish with a few poetic lines from Mark Twain:

A little more kindness, A little less speed, A little more giving, A little less greed, A little more smile, A little less frown, A little less kicking, A man while he’s down, A little more “We”, A little less “I”, A little more laugh, A little less cry, A little more flowers, On the pathway of life, And fewer on graves, At the end of the strife.

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

Scripture:

Ezekiel 18:21-28
Matthew 5:20-26

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.”

As I was reflecting on this, several things came to mind. One was that it seems we as a society, or even as a world, seem to be more angry than we’ve ever been. Another was that anger can be a tricky thing. There are times when we just get angry. But perhaps how liable we are to judgment depends on what we do with our anger.

Do we let it fester and lead us to resentment and even violence? Calling someone “Raqa,” or “You fool,” can symbolize for us racial, ethnic, or other types of slurs, signifying a demonization or dehumanization of the other person or group of people. Or can it lead to something positive? It seems for some people that outrage has led them to work for justice. Maybe a positive outcome depends on whether our anger comes from not getting what we desire, or from a recognition that something is not just for everyone. But I wonder if even in those situations, getting stuck in anger can be harmful to oneself more than the other person, as it can result in bitterness and an inability to live in a healthy way.

After His admonition against anger, Jesus says, “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” If we come to Mass, for instance, loaded with resentments, can we truly offer the gift of our presence to God and to each other?

Perhaps the best way to deal with anger is to turn it over to God, and open ourselves to what God wants us to do with our anger: let it go, or let it be channeled into some positive action for the benefit of others. May we not give in to anger, but to God’s love and God’s will.

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior of the Passionist Community in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Scripture:

1 Peter 5:1-4
Matthew 16: 13-16        

Reflection:

I read today’s gospel and wondered why St. Matthew made such a point of telling us they had entered the area called, Caesarea Philippi. I went back and checked the other gospels and sure enough, St. Mark made the same distinction before relating the great confession of Simon/Peter. I was also struck thinking it seemed really out of character for Christ to concern Himself with what people thought of Him.  

I learned the area of Caesarea Philippi has a cave that once honored the Greek god, Pan.  Inside that cave, a spring flows which even today is the largest source of water for the Jordan River, beginning by bubbling over a small thirty-foot waterfall before leaving the cavern and meandering across the desert to the Dead Sea.   Christ led His disciples to the head of this stream, which provided the waters John the Baptist had baptized Him with as He began His public ministry.  This pagan source of water was transformed in baptizing Christ, who is Himself the source of Living Waters.  

Some biblical scholars suggest that the Transfiguration when Jesus revealed Himself in glory to Peter, James and John, may have happened on Mount Hermon which overlooks Caesarea Philippi.   Christ and the disciples had been at the foot of that same mount just a week before when Peter made his statement of belief in Jesus.

Because it was so out of character for Jesus to ask what people thought of Him and who He was, we can understand why He asked the question, “Who do people say I am?”   The Great Teacher posed the question so Peter could make the most remarkable declaration in the history of mankind:  He said, “You are the Christ.  The Son of the living God”, with a faith-inspired and revealed by God the Father.   On this, the Feast of the Chair of St Peter, we remember the moment that Our Lord rechristened Peter and made him the rock foundation of our faith.  St Peter, we beg your intersession in these troubled times. Help us remember that Christ told us that the gates of Hell will not defeat His church.   

Heavenly Father, we ask You to protect, defend and revitalize our Faith and Church.  Help us gain more vocations, because there cannot be a bountiful harvest without workers in the fields. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen

Ray Alonzo is the father of three children, grandfather of two, and husband to Jan for over45 years. He is a USN Vietnam Veteran and a 1969 graduate of Mother of Good Counsel Passionist Prep Seminary. Ray currently serves on the Passionist Alumni Council.

Scripture:

Jonah 3:1-16
Luke 11:29-32

Reflection:

In our first reading Jonah is telling the Ninevites that if they don’t repent Nineveh will be destroyed.  (Jonah 3:1-3) The people of Nineveh didn’t want to be destroyed so they repented.  What is your image of God?  When very young I thought God was a judge ready to punish me (much like the Ninevites) and I could avoid punishment by jumping through various “I am sorry” hoops. 

In high school, God was a super-duper study buddy.  I would not study very hard throughout the semester but come final exam time: “Ok God, you and me, get me good grades.” Today, I am relationship-focused seeking God and Jesus as my friends that I take time to talk with. 

St. Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Passionists shares the meaning of prayer:

“Prayer is accessible to us in every moment of every day. It is our immediate connection with a God who is both transcendent and immanent. Prayer can be verbal, meditative, or contemplative. We can pray with our whole body through movement, ritual actions or by serving others.” 
(~St. Paul of the Cross to Sister Maria Cherubina Bresciani, May 31, 1740)

“Be still and know that I am God”. (Psalm 46:10)

Lent is a time to renew and intensify our relationship with Jesus.  Let us take time out of the busyness of our daily lives and spend 15 minutes talking with our God or in silence just being.  You can pray while jogging or walking or just being still sitting and enjoying the silence.  How much time daily are you willing to enhance your relationship with God this Lent?

Carl Middleton is a theologian/ethicist and a member of the Passionist Family.