Daily Scripture

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Scripture:

2 Chronicles 36: 14-16, 19-23
Ephesians 2: 4-10
John 3: 14-21

Reflection:

We now have reached the midpoint of Lent and God invites the Church (Jerusalem) to ”Rejoice!” And we, the members of the Church, are also to “Be joyful…/to exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast”. (Entrance Antiphon for this Laetare Sunday). On this day we are called to anticipate the paschal mystery we will celebrate during the three days of the Triduum and let bright light of Easter break through the shadows of Lent. The deep purple of our Lenten vestments are lightened to the color of rose for this one day.

The passage from the second Book of Chronicles puts us into the last years of the kingdom of David when infidelity is added to infidelity and the practices of the pagan peoples enter into the religious life of the Jewish people. The warnings of the prophets are unheeded. Consequently the temple and the city of Jerusalem are destroyed and the people taken captive to Babylon. Restoration and return did not come for seventy years and then through the decree of the Persian King Cyrus. Why are we asked to remember these long ago events in 2015? The Israelite people are undergoing their own death-resurrection experience of exile/return. As they reflect on their collective experience they come to a deeper appreciation of how God works in the world. We too much search for the signs of the times for how God is dealing with us today.

“God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life in Christ…that…he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus… By grace you have been saved!” This is how Paul put it. John was more direct; “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” So we realize that through Jesus a powerful force is at work in the hearts and minds of people. It is the power of love.

 

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

 

Scripture:

Hosea 6:1-6
Luke 18:9-14

Reflection:

Today’s gospel of Luke passage is like a condensed version of Luke’s earlier and longer parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15, 11-32).  In both there is the righteousness of one, the repentant humility of the other, and between them, the loving and correcting presence of the Father.

The “righteous” in these two parables are quick to point out their stellar performance (I fast..I tithe; and in the parable of the prodigal son, I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders), and they are merciless in decrying the infidelity of their neighbor (greedy, dishonest, adulterous; and this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes).

Over the both of them is the correcting and loving wisdom of God as manifested by the dramatic conclusion of the parable in today’s reading: “I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Similarly the Parable of the Prodigal Son echoes this divine mercy: “But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”

How has this divine mercy been meted out?  More generously than even the petitioner could imagine!  In today’s reading, the penitent tax-collector cannot even raise his eyes, he simply asks for God’s mercy; in return he is forgiven and exalted beyond measure.  The father in Luke’s parable of the Prodigal Son does not even give his returning son a chance to finish his prepared “act of contrition”; he cuts off the son’s apology and declares a feast.

When reading today’s passage from Hosea, we see that God’s desire for fidelity is not fundamentally fulfilled in our actions, but is first of all an expression of our love, a measure of our heart: “for it is love that I desire, not sacrifice.”

Our actions can be deceiving, even to ourselves.  We can number our accomplishments, all of our successes; we can measure ourselves against those who don’t perform at our level of accomplishment; and we can assume our greater goodness because we perform better in church than others.

But God looks at the heart, God longs for our hearts; God longs to bathe us in divine mercy.  Isn’t this the underlying reason for Lent?  Isn’t this a time to convert our hearts from a catalog of our good deeds into a prayer of longing for God and longing for God’s mercy?

“What did you give up for Lent this year?”

“I gave up the comparisons that make me feel superior to others.”  “I gave up justifying my pride and self-love, in order to ask for God’s continuous mercy to me, a sinner.”

What did YOU give up for Lent this year?

 

 

Fr. Arthur Carrillo, C.P.  is the director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness for Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Chicago, Illinois. 

 

 

Scripture:

Hosea 14:2-10
Mark 12:28-34

Reflection:

Today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark is situated in the Jerusalem time of Jesus ministry leading up to his crucifixion. In chapter 11, Jesus arrives to sounds of Hosanna and following his temple cleansing, begins to teach the people.  In this cleansing he sets the foundational precepts of God’s view of temple worship and as we know that caused a stir.

In this text Jesus is being questioned by the scribes.  The passage in the bible contains a partial sentence not in the Lectionary: “when he (the scribe) came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he (Jesus) had answered them, asked him…..” (12:28), so we recognize this scribe as one who is open to hearing Jesus’ teaching. In fact he paves the way for one of the greatest proclamations in all of scripture. Echoing Deuteronomy 6:4, Shema Israel, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, is Lord alone!….”  followed by “love of neighbor…” found in Leviticus 19:18. Notice Jesus adds a fourth component to this text.  He commands us to love with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The original text mentions, heart, soul and strength.

I have heard it said that the longest distance in humanity may be from the mind to the heart. True conversion happens when our mind and heart connect as one—Metanoia.  This change of mind St. Paul teaches is to believe that through baptism we are God’s temple –Christ lives in us (1 Cor 3:16). What strikes me in this context is the second command: “….love your neighbor as yourself.”

Arguably the hardest challenge is love of self.  Is Jesus really commanding me to love you as much as I love myself?  Then how well do I love myself? The prophet Hosea reminds us that, sinners stumble on the paths of the Lord (14:10) but the important thing to recognize is that sinners are on the path!  So as I/we stumble along fixed on having the mind of Christ, may we come to a deeper awareness of the importance of love of self so as to love God.

 

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:

Jeremiah 7:23-28
Luke 11:14-23

Reflection:

In the words of the prophet Jeremiah, this day, the Lord is encouraging us to listen, pay heed, because we are, actually, sent, today, among so many who don’t “walk in all the ways that I command you.” In a real sense paying attention to God’s voice today is to recognize the “muteness” that goes on around us, and in the face of it, act, speak. That is, to take any available opportunity, today, to respond in some communicative, personal way to the love of God as is revealed in our midst.

Karl Rahner wrote that “Lent” is necessary because God is apparently “far from us.” That distance means “that our heart is despondent over unanswered prayers, and is tempted to look on “God” only as one of those grand a ultimately unbelieved-in words under cover of which men (sic) hide their despair, because this despair no longer has the power to accept even itself as real.” And, for Rahner, the way of Lent is to first “stand up and face this God-distance of a choked-up heart. What God is really far away from you in this emptiness of the heart? Not the true and living God; for he is precisely the intangible God, the nameless God; and that is why he can really be the God of your measureless heart. Distant from you is only a God who does not exist; a tangible God, a God of man’s small thoughts and his cheap, timid feelings, a God of earthly security…” Second, he suggests: “notice that God is there.  Know with faith that he is with you. Perceive that for a long time now he has been waiting for you in the deepest dungeon of your blocked-up heart, and that for a long time he has been quietly listening to you, even though you, after all the busy noise that we call our life, do not even let him get a word in edgewise, and his words to the man-you-were-until now seem only deadly silence.” But all of this would not have occurred if it were not for that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. “He lay on his face; death crept into his living heart into the heart of the world …The earth wickedly and greedily gulped down the drops of blood of his mortal terror…In this death-silence the small voice of the Son floated somewhere, the only sign from God that was still left. Each moment it seemed to be stifled. But a great miracle took place; the voice remained. The Son spoke to the awful God with his tiny voice that was like a dead man’s, ‘Father’ – he spoke to his own abandonment-‘Thy will be done.’ Through him and in him and with him our soul is laid in the hands of this God, this Father, whose former decree of death has now become love. Our Lenten sacrifices to love deliver us from our muteness to respond to the burdens and bitterness of life. The fasting is in this: standing firm, drinking the cup that contains our poverty and want and God-distance. We face all with a response and not muteness. Lord, give me your grace to do this today.

 

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

 

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
Matthew 5:17-19

Reflection:

During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had just delivered his beatitudes, and he would follow right after with his teachings on the commandments.  What did he mean when he told his discipes: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.  I have come not to abolish but to fulfill”?

The scribes and the pharisees were scholars of the Torah, the Hebrew Bible.  And they did their best to interpret and obey the commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.  Nevertheless, they failed to grasp their full meaning.  By adding numerous regulations, designed to clarify and instill obedience to the commandments, they instead imposed burdensome legalism on the people.

On the Mount, Jesus, the New Moses, asserts himself as the authoritative interpreter of the Torah, superseding all previous understandings of the law.  He brings forth a deeper and richer meaning.   Jesus emphasizes that the essence of the Ten Commandments are to be summed up in two words, reverence and love.   We are to reverence and love God.  And we are to reverence and love one another.  The whole of the law and the prophets rest on this.  Jesus himself fulfills the law by his teaching and his life.  Moreover, in his person, he fulfills all that the prophts had foretold.

Reverence and love — the essence of the commandments — will never pass away.  During this season of Lent, we are called to remember that just as the Ten Commandments were operative for Jesus’ disciples 2,000 years ago, they remain in full force for us today:  We are to love God and to love one another.

 

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

 

Scripture:

Daniel 3:25, 34-43
Matthew 18:21-35

Reflection:

One thing we can rely on: God will always forgive us. There is no sin so big, so grievous, or so intentional that God refuses to forgive it. Jesus even forgave those who killed him, and Jesus commands infinite forgiveness from us. Yet it is incredibly difficult to forgive someone who has deeply hurt me. In a world ruled by revenge-fueled cries of eye-for-an-eye “justice”, forgiveness remains one of the thorniest aspects of discipleship. Although it is far too complex a topic to cover in a these brief reflections, I offer a few thoughts on the misunderstood nature of forgiveness.

First, there is a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation because reconciliation is a mutual endeavor. It begins with forgiveness, with each party admitting their part in the wrongdoing, each one repenting and asking forgiveness of the other, and both parties granting forgiveness. Then both people sincerely engage in the often difficult process of repairing the relationship and rebuilding the trust that was damaged. Both people must want it, and that the relationship must be worth the effort and challenge.

Forgiveness, on the other hand, can be a unilateral act. I can forgive someone even if they show no remorse, don’t repent, and don’t ask for it. Forgiveness is something I do for my own sake and the sake of the Gospel; it is not a “favor” I extend to the offender. It does not mean the offender’s actions were right or OK with me. It doesn’t mean I think the offender deserves to be forgiven (indeed, perhaps there is no remorse or change in behavior and the offender would do it again given the opportunity). It doesn’t mean I give up on any pursuit of justice or due consequences for the action. It does not require that we reconcile.

It DOES mean that I give up my need for revenge. I give up my hate. I give up my desire to see the offender suffer as much as I have suffered. I give up the urge to get even. I refuse to be controlled by someone else’s bad actions. I take back my own power and release myself from being shackled by the venom of anger and vengeance. Hopefully I eventually reach the point where I can pray for that person’s good. I set my heart free from prison, and I can live my life, sleep, eat and laugh without that constant dark shadow. I can heal and be whole.

Forgiveness is not a single decision. It is a process. The greater and more grievous the hurt, the longer the process takes. Even after forgiving, something may happen that brings those old hurts up again and generates the anger, bitterness, and desire for revenge. Then I have to return to the process and reaffirm the forgiveness, over and over again.

Of course, it is easier to talk about forgiveness that to do it. Especially when the hurt is deep, it can seem impossible. But we need to try. We need to try for our own sakes, so we can be made whole. We need to try for the sake of God’s people across the globe who are oppressed and victimized by ideologies of vengeance. We need to try for the sake of Christ, who commanded it and modeled it to his death.

Especially during this Lenten season, may we all grow in forgiveness, so that the reign of God may be proclaimed by our lives.

P.S. For an exercise that many people find helpful, click here.

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.amyflorian.com/.

Scripture:

Exodus 20:1-17
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
John 2:13-25

Reflection:

The message of the Cross is the very foundation of our faith commitment as Christians.  Members of the Passionist Congregation hold the message of the Cross in a special way in their hearts.   Today’s second reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians speaks to their calling as Passionists and the dedication of their lives to the proclamation of Christ Crucified.   And for all of us who are believers, this reading should be a reminder of what it means to be a believer, to be a Christian, and how we are all called to proclaim Christ Crucified.  Most of the time, we Christians do see Christ crucified as the power and wisdom of God.  Generally, we do take up our crosses and follow Christ and usually, we  answer the call to stand with the crucified of today.

But not always.  The Jews looked for signs and when they saw the healings, the curing of the lepers, the raising of Lazarus, they lauded Christ, praising and glorifying him and wanting to follow him.   But when he wasn’t the superman they wanted, then they turned on him. And today, we sometimes echo their sentiments. How often do we say “We believe” when everything is going fairly smoothly, but when there is a crisis in our lives, or a disaster in the world, we expect God to fix it.  Sometimes when it isn’t fixed the way we want it to be, our lament becomes, “If there is a God, why does he let this or that happen?”

In the early church, the Gentiles looked for a logical explanation; a way to understand it.  It all just seemed so absurd.  Today, we sometimes hear it said, “It’s pretty hard to believe in a God who would let his own Son die.”   Paul says to the Corinthians and to us:   “Of course, it seems absurd if you don’t believe.”

But for anyone who has experienced the power of the Cross, it shines with the deepest and most profound wisdom. Demanding miracles from the Lord and questioning God’s will, we express our unwillingness to see the truth in God’s judgment and in the wisdom of God’s decisions, says Paul. We want things to be on our terms, to happen according to our wishes.  Paul points to the Cross of Christ, his death and resurrection, to show that God’s ways are not our ways.

Half way through Lent is a good time to ask, do we truly believe in the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice?  His Crucifixion?  How do I live as a follower of Christ?  What sacrifice am I willing to make?

 

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

 

Scripture:

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Reflection:

Did you ever leave home and not realize it? I did. Actually I had just returned home from the Novitiate. I left in the middle of the year questioning whether I had a vocation. Wanting to continue my involvement in my Church that had provided a secure and comfortable home for the first 18 years of my life, I joined the choir at my local parish.

I’ll never forget the first practice I attended. Well actually, I’ll never forget afterwards. After practice a number of people were talking about going out for pizza at a local shop and asked if I wanted to come along. I accepted and joined a group at Riggio’s Pizza, just down the street from the church. When it came time to order, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted and was searching the menu frantically so I’d be ready when the waitress came to me. This was really a new world to me, dining away from home with friends and actually choosing what I wanted to eat. Well it turned out my fellow choir members weren’t ordering food—they were ordering drinks. Now I was really confused. I had never even had a drink before let alone ordered one. The person next to me ordered a Manhattan. Hum? The only drinks I was familiar with were shots and beers. That’s what my father drank. I thought he drank too much and didn’t particularly like the smell of either, so without hesitating and not even wanting one, I ordered a Manhattan. I didn’t want to be different.

That began a trek that would take me away from home, my family, my church and myself. Ah, I didn’t physically leave these, but I sure did spiritually. Twenty years later, like the prodigal son in today’s reading, I came running back home, frightened and wondering if I’d ever be able to rejoin my family.

It’s now 32 years later, and I’m happy to report that because of the loving acceptance and even rejoicing of my family and church I’ve “returned to the fold”. Father in heaven, give me the vision and the courage to change when I find that like the prodigal son in today’s Gospel reading, I’ve lost my way.

 

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