Daily Scripture

Scripture:
1 Corinthians 2:10b-16
Luke 4:31-37

Reflection:
Questions of identity often make me stop and ponder.  Beneath our very public exterior demeanor, many "layers" of identity lie beneath: our greatest hopes and dreams, our fears and shame, our self-assuredness, our cautious tentativeness.

In the 1989 "Batman" film (directed by Tim Burton), the Joker and Batman face-off, with the Joker telling Batman, "I know who you are."  As several critics of the film comment, the Joker’s remark isn’t about knowing Batman’s identity as Bruce Wayne.  The Joker is telling Batman, "I know the secrets you harbor beneath the mask; your furies and your passions, the dark forces that drive you-I know who you are."

In today’s Gospel passage, the man considered to be the mouthpiece of an evil spirit calls out to Jesus in the Synogogue, "I know who you are-the Holy One of God."  Jesus rebukes the evil spirit and orders him to leave the man.  For Luke, the physician, it is another instance of Jesus, the Son of God who, moved by compassion, heals. Sometimes Jesus heals us from the evil spirits that we harbor in ourselves. Jesus frees us from our infirmity so that the person God created, loved, and redeemed might be able to flourish in the spirit of God.

Two weeks ago, our Sunday’s gospel recounted the episode of Jesus with his apostles, and the following conversation:

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply,
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church…(Matthew 16:15-18a)

Jesus asks the question of his identity: "Who do you say that I am?"  Simon speaks up, naturally, and makes the profession of faith which elicits from Jesus a corresponding response, "You are Peter [a new name, meaning "Rock"], and upon this rock I will build my church."

The interpersonal dynamic with Jesus is clear: in knowing Jesus’ identity, we come to know our own, our own identity as Jesus knows us, and as Jesus wants us to become, for the sake of the Kingdom, for the sake of the Church.

Jesus will recognize all of the human frailty in us, the tendencies to evil that still grip us, the physical and spiritual illnesses that hold us back, and he will free us from whatever keeps us from knowing him, so that we may proclaim, "You are the Christ, the son of the living God."  In that profession of faith we are freed to become the persons for whom Jesus surrendered his life to the Father, and the persons who are called to the Table of the Lord.

 

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

Scripture:
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Matthew 25:14-30

Reflection:
Today’s gospel has an obvious message.  We are told not to bury your talents.  Whether they are physical abilities, mental agilities, personality traits, whatever, we are called upon to develop our talents and use them for the good of our world and the honor and glory of God.

But there are two extended applications of today’s gospel.  First, on the positive side, we are urged to do what we can to help others discover and use their talents.  In the words of Benjamin Disraeli, "The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own."   It is by words of praise, words of encouragement, and by patient listening that we can help others see their inner goodness and the possibilities life holds out for them because of their gifts.

There is also negative application of the gospel.  We are to avoid burying others talents!  So often our negative words squelch another’s initiative, stifle their enthusiasm, suffocate their creativity, stomp on their self-image and kill their joy.  

Only God knows how many great gifts were never developed, how many great deeds never accomplished because some harping critic buried another’s talent with negative words.  And only God know how much good and beauty have come into our world because an industrious and reliable servant took the time and used the right words to enable another to find their talents and help them grow.

When we discover and use our talents, and help others discover and use theirs, great things will happen to us and through us.  It will be a happier world.  So let us boast.  But it is all because God has first gifted us.  So, "let him who would boast, boast in the Lord."

 

Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.   http://www.alanphillipcp.com/

 

Scripture:

Jeremiah 20:7-9
Romans 12: 1-2
Matthew 16: 21-27

Reflection:

He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me…"

During the last few Sundays, we heard about the great things that have been happening everywhere that Jesus and the disciples have gone: Jesus feeding the multitude, His walking on the water, the healing of a Canaanite woman’s daughter, and last week, Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. And from this confession, he is given the keys to the kingdom.

In today’s Gospel, Peter reacts to Jesus’ announcement of His impending suffering and death by saying he will not allow these terrible things to happen to His master.  Jesus responds,"Get behind me Satan…"  In the matter of a short time, Peter goes from "holder of the keys" to "mouthpiece of Satan!" from Rock to stumbling block!

It seems that Peter does not yet understand the meaning of Christ’s suffering and death.  Our Lord knows that Peter’s desire to save Him would be an obstacle to His divine plan, hence the rebuke: "You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

Jesus goes on to say, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me." Jesus makes it clear that the cross is the center of His life and says to His followers (then and now) that, if they wish to follow Him, they, too, must embrace the cross.  This is the path to discipleship

Taking up the cross means that I am willing to let God change me. To change whatever is keeping me from a loving relationship with Him, and eliminating whatever obstacles are keeping me from really knowing His love for me, so that He can continue to build me up into the person I was created to be.  The decision to deny self and to take the cross needs to be made before true discipleship can really begin.

 

Deacon Brian Clements is a retired member of the retreat team at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California.

The Passion of Saint John the Baptist

Scripture:

Jeremiah 1:17-19
Mark 6:17-29

Reflection:

Today we remember the beheading of John the Baptist, who died as a martyr for the truth he preached to those around him.  With the horrific events occurring now in the world around us, I find it difficult to think about John the Baptist so many years ago.  Yet the common thread over the years is that martyrs still die making choices every day.  At the heart of our lives, in the midst of the signs of our times, we all make choices in every present moment which impact our lives and the lives of others.

The choices we have before us are not mysterious or complex.  The choices in the present moment are simple and clearly flow from the river of God’s love and compassion within our hearts, preached by Jesus in the gospels and affirmed in creation and in the world’s religious approaches to God.

We choose:

Love over hate.
Inclusion over exclusion.
Friendship over enmity.
Compassion over cruelty.
Sharing over selfishness.
Love over all.

John the Baptist made his choice and suffered the consequences.  Jesus made his choice and suffered the consequences.  What consequences am I suffering for what choices?

The question is clear.  I must reflect and pray today over the answer.

 

Terry McDevitt, Ph.D. is a member of our Passionist Family who volunteers at the Passionist Assisted Living Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

 

Feast of Saint Augustine

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Matthew 24:42-51

Reflection:

The Feast we celebrate today, that of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, calls to mind the picture of one who spent most of his life undergoing a conversion process.  The life of this brilliant and worldly student of philosophy was not without a struggle until at long last, with God’s grace, Augustine humbly accepted Christ.

Augustine wrote in his Confessions, "You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you…You were with me, but I was not with you."  How often do we search outside for God’s grace and peace?  How often do we spend hours, days, even a lifetime searching for the relief that comes with accepting Christ.  We build our own little kingdoms centered on wealth, status, prestige, thinking these will lead to that satisfaction we so earnestly desire.

Recently our RCIA team met to prepare to welcome the new inquirers into the RCIA process.  The conversation centered around, ‘What Do I Believe About Conversion’?  A lively discussion ensued in response to the questions, ‘Is conversion private or public, Kept quiet or celebrated, Slow to happen or quickly, May occur only once or many times in a lifetime, Is a change of heart or mind?’  Other questions:  ‘Does it affect only parts of one’s life or all of our life, Does it lead us to question our faith more or does our faith become stronger in the process. Is it orderly or messy, Does it happen in church or out and lastly, Does conversion happen in daily living or only at prayer?’

We discovered everyone’s conversion story is different with some similarities and like experiences.  Conversion happens when we open ourselves up to letting God be God and embracing all that comes with being a faithful servant of God’s.  Jesus reminded his disciples:  ‘Stay awake!  For you do not know on which day your Lord will come."  We are all called to do the same!

 

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

 

Scripture:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17
Matthew 23:23-26

Reflection:

Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

All that glitters is not gold.

These familiar idioms reflect our experiences of being led astray.  We hear news reports of scams all the time.  Not all of them rise to the level of Bernie Madoff, the admitted operator of a Ponzi scheme that is considered to be the largest financial fraud in U.S. history totaling $18 billion.  But we each have an experience of "being taken."

I want to trust others.  I really want to trust those who serve as leaders in government and the church.  And when those entrusted with our physical, financial and spiritual welfare, or the welfare of those we most love and care for, choose to disregard their obligation, they chisel away at my ability to trust anyone.

The scripture readings for today from St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians and the Gospel of St. Matthew should reassure us in some strange ways.  Deceit, poor leadership, and hypocrisy apparently abounded in the time of Jesus and the early church.  As we might imagine and quite understand, many probably became disillusioned and went in search of something or someone more trustworthy.  It is not an experience far from our own time as we deal with our own crisis of trust in government and church.

But our faith is in Jesus Christ.  He is the rock.  He is the truth and the way.  He is the light.  Frail human beings and institutions, no matter how good, can only approximate the truth that is Jesus Christ.  And no matter how many times we feel we have been duped or taken advantage of, Jesus remains our rock.  He will be faithful to us to the end of time.  It is to him that we go when others have let us down, or when we have let ourselves down. 

No doubt we can become discouraged when our trust is betrayed, and that is deeply sad even if understandable.  Jesus simply invites us never to lose hope and trust in him.

 

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

Scripture:

2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12
Matthew 23:13-22

Reflection:

The community at Thessalonica consisted of Jews and Gentiles. Paul, along with Silvanus and Timothy, had made a great effort to preach the Gospel there. Apparently, some Jews did not take the message well. Fearing opposition from these people and his concern for the people, Paul had to leave the city earlier than expected leaving the newly converted to tend for themselves. Much to his surprise, the seeds of the Gospel took deep roots and bore fruit!

Like his first letter, Paul begins his second letter by thanking the Thessalonians for their great faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. They have kept the commandments, they have been faithful to the teaching that Paul, along with Silvanus and Timothy, had imparted onto them. They have remained ‘steadfast… amidst persecutions and the afflictions’. This would make any missionary proud!

Our own times continue to challenge us in many ways. The news from across the globe does not herald good news. Human values are at stake. Gospel values are being challenged. It is easy to lose focus, get angry, play blame games. There is much to learn from the community at Thessalonica! May God bless us with continued steadfastness, faith and wisdom!

 

Fr. Bruno D’Souza, CP, is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

 

Memorial of Saint Monica

Scripture:

2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, 16-18
Matthew 23:27-32

 

 

 

Reflection:

The People of God Need to Be Comforted

Today’s readings appear rather abrasive – even for those who adhere strictly to the law. St. Paul tells us to "shun those who walk in a disorderly way," and Jesus addresses the scribes and Pharisees as "hypocrites and whitewashed tombs", full of dead bones and filth! As usual, we are invited deeper into the context and meaning of God’s Word, and perhaps today’s remembrance of St. Monica might assist us as well.

In the first reading, St. Paul confidently offers himself as a model to be imitated. Perhaps he is forgetting that he was willing, not only to die, but to kill in the name of his religion only a few years before (Acts 7:58, 9:2-3)!  Certitudes, even in faith, should not be our goal.

St. Monica might also serve as a model. For many years, she tried to live with integrity, to be an example for her violent husband and wayward and rebellious son. She shows us how to deal with people who do not live up to our expectations. She prayed. She was patient. She was non-judgmental. She was strong.

Or consider Pope Francis. His message to the Jesuits in Korea continues a familiar theme:

"The people of God need consolation, they need to be comforted, "consuelo" (the Spanish word for "comfort"). I see the Church as a field hospital right now. The people of God are asking us for consolation. There are so many wounds that need comforting … We need to listen to the words of Isaiah: "Comfort, comfort my people!" There are no wounds that cannot be consoled with God’s love. This is how we should live: searching for Jesus Christ so that this love brings comfort to people’s wounds and heals them." 

He said we are ministers of consolation that sometimes the Church goes through a tough time, sometimes it experiences wounds and sometimes the ministers of the Church are responsible for people’s wounds. And he spoke of the Church as a "field hospital", an image he used in the interview. He reiterated it, setting it in stone. This is his vision of the Church.

So, today’s readings must not be heard apart from the full body of Sacred Scripture… Paul telling the Church at Rome (chapter 8, verses 31-39) that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Nothing. Or Jesus telling us, his disciples, to come to him, we who are weary, because he is meek, and humble of heart and in him we will find comfort and rest.

 

Fr. Jack Conley, C.P. is the director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness.  He is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.