Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Acts 7:51 – 8:1a
John 6:30-35

Reflection:

When Jesus told the crowd, "I am the Bread of Life," he was seeking to draw them closer to himself and the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, the statement had the opposite outcome; many people walked away. The text in John 6 gives us glues as to the kind of people that left Jesus.

The first cluster of people are the Takers. They wanted free handouts, a gravy train. Jesus resisted their desire that he be a miracle worker, providing whatever they needed, whenever they needed. Jesus wanted to cultivate a sincere relationship, one that cannot be bought with goodies. Takers want the gift more than the giver. "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do [for us]?" These people look to God for what they can get. They are quick to turn their backs on God if God fails to deliver what they want.

The second group are the Conformists. They don’t want a free lunch, but they do want a list of rules. They want life and religion to be very controlled. Again, they don’t want a relationship with Jesus; they want to know clearly what behavior is right and what deed is wrong. They know the laws more than they know God. The laws give them security, a sense of pride in following the commandments exactly, and help them determine who is good and who is evil. They are very self-righteous, pointing to themselves as the good people and others as outside the law.

The final group are the Enthusiasts. Jesus had recently fed over 5,000 people with only 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. The day after that, many in the crowd wanted another sign, another miracle. They were feeling great about this Jesus who fed the thousands. So excited were they that the people climbed into boats, rowed across the lake and found Jesus. Jesus wanted to direct their excitement and enthusiasm to a relationship with him, to exchange excitement with faith. But they would have nothing to do with that and turned their backs. Today we know people who go from church to church looking for what they want: a preacher who excites them, a worship service that is more of a spiritual entertainment than a challenge to faith. They are on the sidelines waiting for the next new experience. They want Jesus to provide one mountain top experience after another. If there is a valley of darkness, they turn away. Enthusiasm is not bad; it can be helpful in drawing us into a relationship with Jesus. But if we are only chasing after the latest fad in church life, we won’t find Jesus in the ordinary aspects of life, and our faith will remain on a superficial level. It is Jesus himself, not an event itself or a building or a preacher, who truly nourishes our faith.

These people wanted to do business with Jesus. They wanted a huge bakery to provide for their physical needs, strict rules to rationalize their judgments and excitement to stimulate their feelings. Jesus humbly wanted to have a personal relationship with them, to draw them closer to the Kingdom of God, and to nourish them more deeply as the Bread of Life. During this Easter Season we are reminded that Jesus gives us not only daily life but also eternal life.

 

Fr. Don Webber, C.P., is Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province and resides in Chicago.

Scripture:

Acts 4:23-31
John 3:1-8

Reflection:

Let us take notice of how as the apostles prayed, "the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."  Two things jumped out at me as I prayed with these scriptures.  The first concerns the Holy Spirit.  Here we have Peter and John, just released from jail and returning to the rest of the apostles, not sure of what is going to happen next.  It was not an easy time for them.  They gather in prayer and through that prayer they experience the coming of the Holy Spirit. I’m not sure if I was in that room with them I would have thought all the shaking and movement was that of the third person of the Blessed Trinity!  I think I would have been just as frightened as they were.  The Holy Spirit challenges us to come out of our comfort zone, leave our places of safety, security and tranquility and trust in a power other than ourselves.

 The second thing that jumped out at me was that word, boldness!  It’s hard to be bold and fearful at the same time!  When we are open to the Spirit of God working in our lives, we can accomplish so much more than we ever imagined.  Peter and John and the others lived the gospel message boldly strengthened by their belief in the power of the Holy Spirit.  We are called as disciples of the risen Jesus to do likewise.  The early church stepped out with passion, faith, fortitude and especially courage in living the message of Jesus.  As the Church of 2014 we are called to follow in the steps of those early disciples of Jesus in spreading the good news to a world hungry for hope, peace and justice for all God’s people. The spirit will guide us, encourage us and strengthen us as we travel boldly along the road that we walk as disciples of the risen Christ.

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 3:11-26
Luke 24:35-48

Reflection:

In the Catacombs there is an ancient piece of art showing the woman in the Gospel thinking: "If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole".  The gospels relate numerous occasions where people are trying to touch Jesus.  Here in today’s Gospel He commands us:     "touch Me and see"

Each fingertip has more than 3,000 touch receptors each reporting events in overlapping fields about one-tenth of an inch across.  No special skill is needed to feel the difference between a smooth pane of glass and one etched with grooves 1/2500 of an inch deep.  The sense of touch is an amazing gift of God!  It brings the object touched deeply into the mind and heart of the one handling it.  Touching is an experiencing of someone as deeply as seeing them.   So Jesus commands us to touch and see Him.   But here we are not just to touch the hem of his garment but the very living wounds of Christ in His Risen Body!

Recently people paid a $1,000 to shake hands with the president.   For them it was well worth their money to touch the hand of the most powerful man in the world.   But for grace we are told to touch the powerful hands, feet of Christ, and to thrust our hand into his side by His heart.   Every day when we attend Mass we are told by Christ: "Take  (in Greek: lambanō  lay hold of), eat; this is my body." Mt 26:26  How blessed we are to touch the Risen Body of Christ! 

We are charged to banish doubt (dialogismos in Greek NT: paralysis of analasis) and to touch the love of God for us.    The Greek word for touch is psēlaphaō which means to rub or go over the place many times.   Of course without faith this will not happen.  But with faith the most intimate moment with Christ can be experienced!  We must touch these wounds of the Risen Christ as many times as He invites us by grace that His power and love might fill our minds and hearts!

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 6:1-7
1 Peter 2:4-9
John 14:1-12

Reflection:

Finding one’s way in the dark when there is no light – literally or metaphorically – is not an easy thing. But in fact we rarely have total darkness, often we have just that little bit of light to assist us and allow us to be self reliant and independent of others’ help.

But what about when we have to go forward into the a new unknown reality – where there is no ‘light’ – no past experience to tell us all is well and we have to step out into something that can feel like the dark unknown?

Indeed anyone who has ever been ‘caving’ or any other kind of exploration of those often immense areas deep beneath the earth’s surface  –  can testify to the reality of ‘total darkness’.  I vividly recall a time when as part of a large group we were being conducted on a tour of a vast cave system with its wonderful underground chambers and vivid formations of stalactites and stalagmites – and all this illuminated by a powerfully bright lightening system. But to illustrate just how dark it truly was in the cave’s natural state, the guide said at one stage "I am just going to turn out the lights so that you’ll understand how dangerous it can be down here". He did so, and I was stunned. I could not see the hand I held in front of my face.

I was surrounded by darkness or more so, by the absence of light itself. I hardly knew any perspective, I could see no one and felt absolutely powerless to find my own way out if it had come to that. I did not know the way and I could not find any path either.

We need light to see if we are to journey along our way, but if we do not have even this, then at least we need a guide to take our hand and to show us the way.

Perhaps this touches into the experience of not just the disciples in today’s gospel, but into the experience of every Christian in every age who contemplates the unknown. And indeed faith in Jesus so often calls us to go forward towards that which we do not yet know, or to further towards that which is frightening of challenging, or to step out into a situation that is act of pure trust.

To go forward even when we are ‘enlightened’ by faith can be a risk. And so often the Christian journey calls us to go forward into what is not known. ‘What will happen if… I forgive the other or I trust in this moment or I dare to ask for forgiveness etc?"

We do not always know these answers, in fact often we don’t know at all. But we can trust that Jesus has gone before us to enlighten our path, that he is present to our every moment guiding us, taking our hand, showing us the way by example, stirring us on through his Spirit, finding us companions for the journey or creating examples for us in the lives of those he has inspired before us.

This is part of the Easter promise. That we are never alone in our journey and that no matter how dark it seems he is there.  "Do not let your hearts be troubled.. have faith in God; have faith also in me… I will come back again and take you to myself…I am the way and the truth and the life."

 

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:

Acts 4:32-37
John 3:7b-15

Reflection:

"The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.  There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the Apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need."

These words from the Acts of the Apostles are more than challenging, they are disturbing.  These words are disturbing in the same way our Pope Francis’ words on poverty in the world are disturbing, when it comes to how and whether we equally share what we own with those who have little or nothing.

There’s not much sense in trying to rationalize here.  I have done so many times before. I end up with a formulaic approach to "how much" I should give to those in need in our community.  I have done the typical math, translating dollars and treasure into time (volunteer hours).  I have tried the traditional tithing formula, using a percentage to let myself slip away from the picture of total community in the Acts of the Apostles.  I’ve glossed over the words of Jesus about how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God (the eye of a needle).

I have even pointed to religious life as an example of where some profess to give everything for the Kingdom of God.  Even there I find myself wondering about words vs. realities. 

However, let’s be fair.  The early Christians did not have electricity, Wi-Fi, gasoline or mega-banks and corporations.  These complications and a totally different kind of economy do make it at least "seem" more difficult for us to define a proper relationship with money, land and treasure!

Maybe today I need to concentrate on the first few words of this passage from Acts,  "The community of believers was of one heart".  A simple question may lead me and others to our next steps.

Where is my heart?

 

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

 

Scripture:

Acts 2:42-47
1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31

 

 

Reflection:

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

On this extraordinary and festive day – the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, the canonization of Popes John XXII and John Paul II – perhaps some images, even more than discourse, can highlight the distinctiveness and excitement of today.

I think of a smiling, roly-poly Pontiff, on the balcony of St. Peters on that exciting evening of the opening day of the Second Vatican Council. In this "moonlight speech" at the end of the day, Pope John encouraged the crowd, "…When you go back home now, you will find your children: give them a hug and say, ‘This is a hug from the Pope.’ You will find some tears that need to be dried: speak a good word: ‘The Pope is with us, especially in times of sadness and bitterness.’"

Or who could forget that 1984 Time magazine cover photograph, a prison cell where two men sat on metal folding chairs. The younger man attired in a black turtleneck sweater, jeans and white running shoes, the older man dressed in a white robe with a white skullcap on his head. They sat up close and personal, facing one another. The young man was Mehmet Ali Agca, the older Pope John Paul II. The pope held the hand that had once held the gun whose bullet had pierced the pope’s body.

And still another image is Pope Francis, who, with 61 other priests about to enter confessionals for the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance, surprised the master of ceremonies by kneeling publicly and "going to confession" himself!

So often in the Gospels Jesus shows astonishing patience with his disciples; time and again we are reminded how they are "slow of heart," yet he lovingly encourages (Latin cor + agree, the word means to "act from the heart"!) them. We are reminded that faith is a heart thing, that believing is a reality rooted in the heart. Yet we so often think of faith as a cerebral activity, a head trip. Maybe my questions and my doubts and my sense of God’s absence are not signs of my lack of faith, but rather the way the life of the spirit moves. Let’s join doubting Thomas on this special day, eventually realizing that we may say, "I won’t believe until I see," but knowing and experiencing deeply, "I won’t see until I believe!"

 

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.

Scripture:

Acts 4:1-12
John 21:1-14

Reflection:

After Easter Sunday we enter into a whole new world of events. The scriptures present to us repeated appearances of the risen Christ to his beloved disciples and conversions of peoples as Peter and other apostles go speaking ‘boldly’ in the name of Jesus and about Him. There are healing stories, miracles and mysterious escapes from the prison! We hear stories from the early Christian community as it grew in faith and understanding amidst challenges. There is power. There is wisdom. There is the presence of the risen Lord!

Today’s gospel begins with the evangelist John telling us that the risen Lord meets the disciples ‘again’ and that it was the third time. It was but natural for the disciples to move on after the death of Jesus. They probably decided to go back to their old ways of living. The risen Lord meets them where they are and calls them ‘again’. He has to do this many times to let them know that they were not dreaming; that they were not hallucinating, and that He needed them to continue what He had begun.

It is amazing how the actions of Jesus speak so clearly to the disciples and their response is so spontaneous and unpretentious. John tells us that ‘none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they realized it was the Lord.’

The same risen Lord continues to meet us on our journey – where we are. When we feel that all is over, He enters into our life – just like that. Surprise! He meets us in the scriptures, through people we meet along our journey – in our family, our neighborhood, at work, our parish community – but most importantly and profoundly in the breaking of the bread. It is our response to this that will bring about healing, miracles and joy in and around us – just like the early Christian community.

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 4:13-21
Mark 16:9-15

Reflection:

The Upper Room has always intrigued me.   There Jesus gathered with his friends for the Last Supper.  There the apostles took refuge during all the confusion of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion.  It seemed to have served as a type of command center in the days after the resurrection.  And it was there that Jesus appeared to Thomas and the other apostles, who were still in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit descended upon them.

What most intrigues me about the Upper Room is how difficult it was for the apostles to move beyond its four walls.  In a place where they shared the most intimate moments with Jesus at the Last Supper, the apostles have now shut themselves up in fear.  Their world seemed messy and dangerous.  They were paralyzed and did not know what to do.  Their friend, their teacher, their Lord was no longer there with them.  So they created a safe place.

But Jesus keeps trying to break into that Upper Room that is now closed and sealed.  Read today’s Gospel from St. Mark.  There are three wonderful descriptions where the closed Upper Room is really a symbol of the closed minds and hearts of the apostles.

First, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene.  She went and told Jesus’ companions what she had seen, but they did not believe.  They were too overwhelmed, mourning and weeping in their Upper Room.

Second, Jesus appears to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus.  They turned around and went to that sealed Upper Room to tell the others.  But the apostles did not believe them either.

Third, as the apostles were at table -very likely the same table where they celebrated the Last Supper – Jesus appeared to them.  He "rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart," the Gospel story reads, "because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised."

I have to wonder about the Upper Room in my life where I close myself off, where I live in fear or shame.  I wonder how often I seal myself away, unaware of the many different ways God is trying to break through my own unbelief and hardness of heart, my own prejudices and biases, my own preconceived notions of what is right and wrong.  Like the apostles, I need Christ to enter into my life and help me throw open the windows and doors of my Upper Room so that I can proclaim the Good News: He is risen! I have seen him.  Alleluia.

 

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.